Olivier Messiaen: Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant Jésus / Préludes - Michel Béroff

On this CD:

1. Preludes (8), for piano, I/2
Composed by Olivier Messiaen
Performed by Michel Beroff

2. Regards (20) sur l'enfant Jésus, for piano, I/27
Composed by Olivier Messiaen
Performed by Michel Beroff

Tracks:

Prld No.1: La Colombe
Prld No.2: Chant D'extase Dans Un Paysage Triste
Prld No.3: Le Nombre Leger
Prld No.4: Instants Defunts
Prld No.5: Les Sons Impalpables Du Reve
Prld No.6: Cloches D'angoisse Et Larmes D'adieu
Prld No.7: Plainte Calme
Prld No.8: Un Reflet Dans Le Vent
Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.1 - Regard Du Pere
Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.2 - Regard De L'Etoile
Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.3 - L'Echange
Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.4 - Regard De La Vierge
Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.5 - Regard Du Fils Sur Le Fils
Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.6 - Par Lui Tout A Ete Fait
Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.7 - Regard De La Croix
Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.8 - Regard Des Hauteurs

Tracks:

Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.9 - Regard Du Temps
Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.10 - Regard De L'Esprit De Joie
Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.11 - Premiere Communion De La Vierge
Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.12 - La Parole Toute-Puissante
Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.13 - Noel
Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.14 - Regard Des Anges
Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.15 - Le Baiser De L'Enfant Jesus
Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.16 - Regard Des Prophets, Des Bergers Et Des Mages
Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.17 - Regard Du Silence
Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.18 - Regard De L'Onction Terrible
Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.19 - Je Dors, Mais Mon Coeur Veille
Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant Jesus: No.20 - Regard De L'Eglise D'amour

Customer Reviews:

Heaven-Sent Piano Playing.......2003-04-21

It's the stupendous piano playing - both virutosic and musical - that puts this classic Messiaen set at the top of the pile. The pleasingly natural piano sound is captured in a most beautiful recording. The range of Beroff's touch is wonderfully varied, from the gentlest chord to colossal accumulations of sound, yet his tone is never forced. Above all, Beroff is second to none in his ability to let you hear what is going when the music is at its most rhythmically complex and technically demanding. In Regard No 6 ("Par lui tout a ete fait") and No 10 ("Regard de l'esprit de joie"), for example, the strength and clarity of his fingers is miraculous, his agility in covering the entire keyboard in extremely fast and multilayred music breathtaking. These recordings are among the great piano recordings of all time, regardless of repertoire. I originally bought this set, despite already owning Austbo on Naxos, because I was intrigued by excerpts played on BBC Radio 3's Building a Library. The reviewer noted how Beroff captured the birdsong imitations that crop up here and there even in this cycle. I came back to the Beroff set a number of times before I realised that what was drawing me in was the sheer beauty of the piano playing. Beroff puts his virtuosity at the service of the music so successfully that it takes time for you to listen to the music as pure piano playing and to realise how perfectly the artist's technique serves this extraordinarily demanding music. This is really great Messiaen playing, virtuosity that is right at the top of the pantheon, up there with the greatest things achieved by whoever you care to mention- Argerich, Hamelin, Horowitz, Richter etc etc. Bravo!