
La ville d'en haut
Messiaen: La ville den
haut
Both Un vitrail et des oiseaux of 1986 and La
ville den haut of 1987 follow the mosaic patterning of earlier works, with music
ranging from the athletic ecstasies of birdsong to the blazing dignity of brass chorales.
In La ville den haut Messiaen returns to strict temporal notation, and also
gives a clue to the import of the works structure; the brass chorale
represents the glory of the celestial city. The birdsong in the tuned percussion, woodwind
and solo piano symbolises the joy of the resurrected, assured of being ever close to
Christ.
© Roger Nichols
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