It's astonishing that over a decade after his death there are still major works by a composer of
Messiaen's stature that have never been recorded. Part of the reason, in this particular case, may be the eccentricity of the instrumentation; it's a rare situation to find in one place the six Ondes Martenot virtuosos required to perform the composer's eight-movement, 35-minute suite Fête des belles eaux. It's appropriate that the first recording was released in 2008, the 80th anniversary of the invention of the instrument by Maurice Martenot. Ensemble d'Ondes de Montréal was formed in 1972, an outgrowth of the commitment of the Conservatoire de Montréal to offer a performance degree in the instrument. The quartet is joined by two guest ondistes for the recording of the
Messiaen, a staple of its repertoire.
Messiaen wrote the piece in response to a commission to provide music for a water and fireworks exhibition at the 1937 Paris Exposition. He was given precise timings for the duration of the fireworks and water displays, and tailored his score to match the visual show. There's no indication from the sound of the music that his imagination or creativity were in any way hemmed in by these restrictions; this is deeply expressive music that unfolds naturally and completely persuasively. The piece is revelatory in the variety of timbres the Ondes is capable of producing; it can sound like an über-cello, or a recorder consort, or take on a glistening gamelan-like delicacy. The most effective sections are the two long movements designated "l'eau," or water, which have an entirely otherworldly serenity. The composer describes the music in these movements, his favorites, as a prayer, "a symbol of grace and eternity." Most intriguingly, in their ecstatic melodies soaring over timeless, slowly evolving harmonies, these movements are clearly precursors to the fifth and final movements of Quatuor pour la fin du Temps, "Louange à l'Éternité de Jésus," and "Louange à l'Immortalité de Jésus." It's possible to hear the stratospheric, nearly impossible string parts in the quartet as the composer's attempt to reproduce the effortless purity of the sound of the Ondes Martenot. In any case, it's a gorgeous work, one that any
Messiaen fan would want to hear. Feuillets inédits for Ondes Martenot and piano has been recorded before, but it remains a novelty, and it's a pleasure to have such a fine recording of the rhapsodic piece. The ensemble fills out the CD with an arrangement of the first movement of
Ravel's String Quartet. The players essentially emulate the sound of strings, but since the music is so familiar, the electronic quality of the performance is more "interesting" than engaging. The sound of the recording is clean, atmospheric, and full.