La Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

La Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jesus-Christ (The Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ) is a piece of music that was written between 1965 and 1969 by Olivier Messiaen. Its content is based on the event of Jesus transfiguring on a mountain according to the report of the Synoptic Gospels. The music is on such a large scale that it requires about 200 people to perform it. The forces required include a mixed choir, seven instrumental soloists and a large orchestra.

Contents 1 Background 2 Structure 3 Instrumentation 4 Premiere 5 References

[edit] Background

On hearing "an old priest deliver a sermon on the light and the filiation",^[1] Messiaen started to think about the Transfiguration story in the 1940s. By the time he began to write the music, he hadn't composed music for voices for 17 years since his solo choral work Cinq Rechants. Warmer tonal harmonies reappeared in this work, compared with Messiaen's immediately preceding compositions.

[edit] Structure

The music is divided into 14 movements and two septénaires. It lasts for about one and a half hours.

First Septenary

• I. Récit évangélique
• II. Configuration corpori claritatis suae
• III. Christus Jesus, splendor Patris
• IV. Récit évangélique
• V. Quam dilecta tabernacula tua
• VI. Candor est lucis aeternae
• VII. Choral de la sainte montaigne

Second Septenary

• VIII. Récit évangélique
• IX. Perfecte conscius perfectae generationis
• X. Adoptionem filiorum perfectam
• XI. Récit évangélique
• XII. Terribilis est locus iste
• XIII. Tota Trinitas apparuit
• XIV. Choral de la lumière de gloire

[edit] Instrumentation

It is scored for a mixed choir(10 voices per part), 7 instrumental soloists and a very large in scale orchestra.^[2]

7 instruments played by soloists, including:

• Piano
• Flute
• Clarinet
• Cello
• Marimba
• Xylorimba
• Vibraphone

Woodwind

• 5 Flutes
• 4 Oboes
• 5 Clarinets
• 4 Bassoons

Brass

• 6 Horns
• 4 Trumpets
• 4 Trombones
• 2 Tubas

Percussion

• Bass Drum
• Cymbals (Crash and Suspended)
• Triangle
• Tam Tam (High and low)
• Wood blocks
• Tubular Bells

Strings

• Violins (Typically 32 players)
• Violas (Typically 14 players)
• Cellos (Typically 12 players)
• Double Basses (Typically 12 players)

[edit] Premiere

Public performance: June 7, 1969, Lisbon.

[edit] References

• Deutsche Grammophon La Transfiguration CD Booklet