Krzysztof Penderecki - Emanationen, Partita, Cello Concerto, Symphony (1995 compilation, rec. 1972/3)

Following on from last Monday's post, a further tribute to Krzysztof Pendercki after his recent death.  This compilation from the 90s, like the second of the 'previously posted' links below, pulled together the composer-conducted recordings made for EMI in the early 70s.  On this one are four of Pendercki's slightly less famous but no less engrossing and distinctive works for orchestra.

First up is Emanationen, one of Pendercki's early works composed in 1958.  Two orchestras tuned a minor second apart generate a queasy churn that hints at the extremities to come in the 1960s.  The next two works are concertante, firstly Partita for harpsichord and chamber orchestra.  This was the 1972 premiere recording with harpsichordist Felicja Blumental (it was written the previous year); the instrument's spidery rattling sits well with parts for electric guitar and bass guitar.

Cello Concerto No. 1 was originally written in 1967 as a rare feature for the five-string violino grande, and was transcribed into a cello concerto five years later.  The legendary Siegfried Palm ably takes the lead part to its dark, violent depths and screeching heights - you can imagine a young Iancu Dumitrescu taking notes.  Closing the collection is Penderecki's first Symphony, commissioned in 1972 by, of all things, an English gas-engine manufacturing company (they were involved in a series of Annual Industrial Concerts).  It aptly starts out sounding like some unearthly mechanical device sputtering into life, before going deep into atmospheric soundworlds that only Penderecki could conjure up.

link
pw: sgtg

Previously posted at SGTG:
St Luke Passion, Threnody etc (Polskie Nagrania Muza recordings)
Threnody, etc (EMI recordings)
Symphony No. 2
Utrenja

Olivier Messiaen - Turangalîla Symphony / L'ascension (rec. 1998, rel. 2000)

Probably Olivier Messiaen's most famous orchestral work, the Turangalîla-Symphonie was completed in 1948 and has been recorded dozens of times since.  This 1998 version remains my favourite, probably because it's so well recorded and allows close investigation of all the crazy elements that make up Messiaen's mindblowing 'love song to life' (one of the possible translations of the Sanskrit turanga lîla).

The symphony is one of the best known outings for the ondes Martenot, that ghostly sounding proto-synthesizer invented in the late 1920s.  Played here by rare instrument specialist Robert Bloch, the theremin-like sweeps of the ondes first make their presence felt in the second section, or first Chant d'amour.  It's also used as one of the main melodic instruments in the Joie du sang des etoiles section.

Throughout, the rest of the orchestra whirls around in great multicolour shades (Messiaen was apparently a synesthete) and four central themes weave in and out at various points.  Listening to the 80 minute work for me is like hearing an early form of psychedelia - it's a long, strange trip, but an absolutely beautiful one.  The shimmering wonder of L'ascension, four meditations for orchestra (1932-3), which fills out the second CD, has a similar effect despite being an earlier work and more rooted in Messiaen's spiritual ouevre - a different recording can be found here.

Disc 1 link
Disc 2 link