Messiaen early organ works
Olivier Messiaen rightfully holds the position as the most performed organ composer of the twentieth century. Still, there are works that are seldom recorded, as the Prélude and Offrande au Saint Sacrement which is included here on this beautifully focused and uplifted debut of Norwegian Inger-Lise Ulsrud. Messiaen organ works for the first time on SACD, recorded in gorgeous 5.1 and stereo, this release in a must for organ enthusiasts.
Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992), one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, was “titular”-organist of the Parisian church, Sainte Trinité, for over 60 years. Organ compositions are found among his works from 1928 to 1985. In them one can read the main elements of his compositional development and discoveries: the organization of time, his ideas about colour which are expressed in the richness of his instrumental and harmonic colours, as well as bird songs from the entire world which served him as a source of inspiration from the beginning of the 50’s. Above all, however, stands the praise of God, just as by Bach: “Soli Deo gloria” and the proclamation of His healing works. Almost all his compositions have a Christian content which is also described in his own short commentaries.
Early works of Messiaen
These elements – with the exception of bird songs – are already more or less visible in his early works. Here the “early works“ are to be understood as all organ compositions before the Nativité of 1935, which Messiaen in his later years considered to be his first authentic organ work in the sense of its completely developed musical language. It is especially interesting to investigate the development of this musical language in these early pieces from various points of view. Messiaen did not publish all of these early works, which eventually was accomplished after his death at the beginning of the 21st century. For this reason, they are relatively unknown.
Inger-Lise Ulsrud
Inger-Lise Ulsrud graduated from the Norwegian Academy of Music with a degree in Church Music and continued her improvisation studies under Professor Anders Bondeman in Stockholm. Later she studied with Professor Edgar Krapp at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Frankfurt am Main, where she received her ‘Diploma’ (Master of Music) in organ performance. She has also been a private student of Professor Almut Roessler in Duesseldorf. Since 1993 Inger-Lise Ulsrud has been teaching improvisation and organ literature at the Norwegian Academy of Music, is now Associate Professor for organ and regularly gives master classes in improvisation.
Text in English, French, German and Norwegian.
 - Inger-Lise Ulsrud is an outstanding interpreter of this music. She has the music truly under her skin, and manages to bring all the different colours and nuances to the foreground. This gives the music a tremendous intensity, equally strong all the way down to the softest pianissimo. [VG]
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Ulsrud, Inger-Lise (organ)
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