Olivier Messiaen is considered one of the most important and influential composers of the twentieth century. He is probably best-known for his Turangalîla symphony and for making use of birdsong in his music. This CD features every song and melody that Messiaen wrote for soprano and piano.
During a relatively short period rather early in his career Messiaen wrote about 30 songs. Some of them belong to sets and some are single songs. They are mainly based on his own and his mother's (Cécile Sauvage) texts. His personal style and idiosyncrasies are already evident in these songs as is his religious tendency in the last set, Harawi, a “song of love and of death”.
The songs for soprano and accompaniment have never before been recorded by a single singer. These brand-new recordings were made for Brilliant Classics by Dutch singer Ingrid Kappelle and internationally recognised Messiaen performer Hakon Austbö. This pianist has worked intimately with the composer himself in the past and has made highly acclaimed recordings of his works for piano solo.
