Last October I posted Olivier Messsiaen's Quartet For The End Of Time, and this time it's his huge choral work narrating the story of, and a meditation on, Christ's Transfiguration. With very large forces required, the work sets text in a largely plainsong manner, interspersed with orchestral and instrumental sections featuring a vast array of percussion.
The work was completed in 1969 and first performed that year in Lisbon. This record was its first recording, made with the same Washington DC forces under Antal Dorati that had given the US premiere in 1972. This piece in MusicWeb reviews a different recording but makes reference to this one whilst at the same time giving a detailed appreciation of the music which is well worth reading. The album sleeve and booklet (giving the texts used) are scanned below.
La Transfiguration De Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ is a major work from one of the 20th Century's most visionary composers.
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