Messiaen composed the nine minute long Verset as a response to a commission for a piece to be used as a test exercise at the Paris Conservatoire. It had been nearly ten years since he had written any pieces either for the organ or with direct religious content (the last work had been Livre d`orgue of 1951). The Verset, like many of Messiaen`s other religious works, is based on plainchant. In this instance, the chants are the alleluia and its jubilus from the mass sung at the dedication of a church (hence the title, which means `verse for the feast of the Dedication`). The plainsong is the basis for the opening section of the work, which is then answered by a much more lively section involving birdsong, another type of material which Messiaen had used in much of his music from the 1940s onwards. Here the birdcall is that if the song thrush, and the tone of the passage is indicated by Messiaen`s marking on the score: `avec une joie
Intermezzo
(26.03.2012 00:06)
Intermezzo писал(а):
Вот небольшой дескрипшн пьесы, спасибо allmusic:
mit Vergn. Вот:
Messiaen composed the nine minute long Verset as a response to a commission for a piece to be used as a test exercise at the Paris Conservatoire. It had been nearly ten years since he had written any pieces either for the organ or with direct religious content (the last work had been Livre d`orgue of 1951). The Verset, like many of Messiaen`s other religious works, is based on plainchant. In this instance, the chants are the alleluia and its jubilus from the mass sung at the dedication of a church (hence the title, which means `verse for the feast of the Dedication`). The plainsong is the basis for the opening section of the work, which is then answered by a much more lively section involving birdsong, another type of material which Messiaen had used in much of his music from the 1940s onwards. Here the birdcall is that if the song thrush, and the tone of the passage is indicated by Messiaen`s marking on the score: `avec une joie etrange` `with a strange joy.` Birdsong and plainchant material then join in an ecstatic passage before the plainsong returns to end the piece, with just an echo of the song thrush`s call. This is Messiaen`s only work for organ which was not composed to be played on the instrument at La Sainte Trinite, the church at which he was the organist through most of his life.
Messiaen composed the nine minute long Verset as a response to a commission for a piece
to be used as a test exercise at the Paris Conservatoire. It had been nearly ten years
since he had written any pieces either for the organ or with direct religious content (the
last work had been Livre d`orgue of 1951). The Verset, like many of Messiaen`s other
religious works, is based on plainchant. In this instance, the chants are the alleluia and
its jubilus from the mass sung at the dedication of a church (hence the title, which means
`verse for the feast of the Dedication`). The plainsong is the basis for the opening
section of the work, which is then answered by a much more lively section involving
birdsong, another type of material which Messiaen had used in much of his music from the
1940s onwards. Here the birdcall is that if the song thrush, and the tone of the passage
is indicated by Messiaen`s marking on the score: `avec une joie
allmusic:
Messiaen composed the nine minute long Verset as a response to a commission for a piece
to be used as a test exercise at the Paris Conservatoire. It had been nearly ten years
since he had written any pieces either for the organ or with direct religious content (the
last work had been Livre d`orgue of 1951). The Verset, like many of Messiaen`s other
religious works, is based on plainchant. In this instance, the chants are the alleluia and
its jubilus from the mass sung at the dedication of a church (hence the title, which means
`verse for the feast of the Dedication`). The plainsong is the basis for the opening
section of the work, which is then answered by a much more lively section involving
birdsong, another type of material which Messiaen had used in much of his music from the
1940s onwards. Here the birdcall is that if the song thrush, and the tone of the passage
is indicated by Messiaen`s marking on the score: `avec une joie etrange` `with a strange
joy.` Birdsong and plainchant material then join in an ecstatic passage before the
plainsong returns to end the piece, with just an echo of the song thrush`s call. This is
Messiaen`s only work for organ which was not composed to be played on the instrument at La
Sainte Trinite, the church at which he was the organist through most of his life.