OLIVIER MESSIAEN (1908-1992)

 

Poèmes pour Mi

 

Version for soprano and orchestra, Texts by Olivier Messiaen

 

Poemes pour Mi Book 1:

No. 1 Action de graces

No. 2 Paysage

No. 3 La maison

No. 4 Épouvante

 

Poemes pour Mi Book 2:

No. 5 L’épouse

No. 6 Ta voix

No. 7 Les deux guerriers

No. 8 Le collier

No. 9 Prière exaucée

 

Les offrandes oubliées

Un sourire

 

Anne Schwanewilms - soprano

 

National Orchestra of Lyon / Jun Markl

 

Love and faith, mortality and eternity are the abiding themes of these three important and beautifully shimmering works by one of the 20th century’s most innovative composers. Les offrandes oubliées, Messiaen’s first published orchestral work, is a symphonic meditation on Christ’s loving sacrifice to redeem the sin of humanity. Poèmes pour Mi sets nine mystical texts which were written as highly personal love songs to his first wife, Claire Delbos, while Un sourire pays homage to what he saw as Mozart’s ever-smiling attitude to life’s many hardships.

 

“One of the most electrifying singers of our time.” BBC Radio Three on Anne Schwanewilms, May 2009

 

Naxos 8572174