Messiaen / London Philharmonic Orch / Eschenbach - Des Canyons Aux Etoiles [2 CD]

Commissioned to celebrate the bicentenary of the UnitedStates Declaration of Independence, Olivier Messiaen's Descanyons aux etoiles (From the Canyons to the Stars) wasinspired by the composer's tours around Utah's magnificentlandscapes. The work's unusual instrumentation creates a texture thatevokes the majesty and loneliness of the landscape, as wellas it's inhabitant birds with astonishing effect. This recording presents a rare opportunity to hear a worknot available extensively on record and infrequentlyperformed live. Recorded in concert at Royal Festival Hall on 2 November2013, as part of Southbank Centre's The Rest Is Noiseyear-long festival of 20th c. music, inspired by Alex Ross'sbestselling book of the same name. Christoph Eschenbach, a champion of 20th - 21st c. music,has gained a reputation as a key interpreter of more unusualand challenging works. Pianist Tzimon Barto is one of America's foremost pianists,and has enjoyed a close musical collaboration withChristoph Eschenbach for 25 years. "... it's the teeming richness of the whole that overwhelms,and Eschenbach and his players had the measure of themusic's vast perspectives." (Evening Standard)