Overture Magazine - 2018-19 Season BSO_Overture_JanFeb_19 | Page 15

piano soloist, another soloist playing the
exotic— and only recently invented —
electronic instrument the ondes Martenot
and an augmented percussion section
containing everything from vibraphone
to glockenspiel to drums and Turkish
cymbals. The Boston Symphony premiered
the Turangalîla on December 2, 1949,
under the baton of Leonard Bernstein.
Today this symphony is one of the
legendary works of the 20 th century.
Because of its formidable demands, a
performance of it is a rare occasion. And,
because of its mind-blowing effects, it is
always an unforgettable one. In his almost
graphic depiction of the power of love,
Messiaen will introduce you to amazing
orchestral colors you have never heard
before and to a range of dynamics from
the edge of audibility to the absolutely
deafening. In the musical textures, layers
upon layers of different rhythms and
melodic themes are superimposed. The
best way to take it all in is to simply open
up your ears and your heart and drink in
the sensual experience.
Although much of Messiaen’s music
was inspired by religious themes,
Turangalîla is one of his secular works:
a human love story based on the myth
of Tristan and Isolde. In the 1940s, the
composer, already married to the violinist
Claire Delbos who was now chronically
ill, met the phenomenal young pianist
Yvonne Loriod in a class he taught at
the Conservatoire de Paris. The two
gradually fell in love, and after Delbos’
death in 1962, they finally married. But
at this time, they realized their love was
forbidden, just as Tristan and Isolde’s
was. The rapture and tensions of this love
filled the music of the Turangalîla. The
exceptionally difficult piano part that is
one of its most stunning components was
written for Loriod herself to perform.
Throughout his career, Messiaen was
fascinated with Eastern cultures, especially
those of India and Southeast Asia. The title
“Turangalîla” comes from two Sanskrit
words. As Messiaen explains, these words
have multiple meanings: “Lîla literally
means a game, but a game in the sense of
divine workings in the cosmos, the game
of creation, destruction and reconstruction,
P E AB ODY
SYMPHONY
O RCHE STR A
Saturday, February 16
at 7:30 pm
Joseph Young, conductor
Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg
Artistic Director of Ensembles
Yunling Zhang, piano
Ludwig van Beethoven:
Piano Concerto No. 4
in G major, Op. 58
Aaron Copland:
Billy The Kid: Ballet
Reserve your FREE seats at
peabody.jhu.edu/events
or by calling 667-208-6620.

JA N – F E B 201 9 / OV E R T U R E
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