TRACKLISTING
1 I Introduction
2 II Chant d’amour 1
3 III Turangalîla 1
4 IV Chant d’amour 2
5 V Joie du sang des étoiles
6 VI Jardin du sommeil d’amour
7 VII Turangalîla 2
8 VIII Développement de l’amour
9 IX Turangalîla 3
10 X Final
Jean-Yves Thibaudet piano
Takashi Harada ondes martenot
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Riccardo Chailly

ABOUT THIS SACD
Of the many spectacular orchestral pieces written in the twentieth century, Messiaen’s Turangalîla-symphonie must come high on the list of the most colourful and fantastic in sonic terms. In preparing the surround sound mix for this SACD release, the original engineer John Dunkerley and I went back to the original documentation of the sessions and found to our delight that we had set the huge forces required for the piece as if we were recording for surround. Pivotal at the centre of the set-up was the podium of Maestro Riccardo Chailly and the piano of Jean-Yves Thibaudet. The “gamelan” of celeste, vibraphone, marimba and the like stretched behind to the left, the speakers of the ondes martenot of Takashi Harada arrayed behind to the right. The vast forces of percussion were set out in two rows behind and to the left of the orchestra, the horns and brass placed centre back and to the right, with strings and woodwind occupying their normal positions. Thus the mix, made from newly edited multi-track tapes, fell more or less into place immediately. With the instruments wrapped around the listener as it was recorded, we hope that this kaleidoscopic and beautiful score, with its contrasts of immense energy, intensity and tranquillity, brings Messiaen’s vision into even greater relief.
Andrew Cornall