Search - Simon Rattle, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra :: Olivier Messiaen: Turangalila; Quatuor Pour La Fin du Temps

Most intensely felt performance of End of Time

Scriabinmahler | UK | 03/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
5 stars to the astonishingky intense and deeply moving performance of Quartet for the End of Time. This one combines taut sense of musical archtecture of Tashi's account with highly individualistic approach of Gil Shaham & Friends version. Clarinet, cello and violin solo is played with incredible concentration and profundity. The rapt serenity in the last violin solo part with very sensitively played piano really makes the music soars to eternity!



Rattle's rendition of Turangalila is just fine, but not the outstanding either. Basically. He ticks all boxes, as he always does. I get an impression that he is always in control in every detail, and manages to kill music itself just as it happened to his two over-rated recordings of Mahler 10th. He completely fails to capture the primeval force and violence of the music by his control-freak approach. Peter Donahoe's playing is often drwoned in louder sections and not poewrful enough to penetrate the thick orchestration (Remember this work is piano concerto as well as orchestral)."