Sir Simon Rattle and the LSO are joined by revered French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard in a concert film that brings together music by Anton Bruckner and Olivier Messiaen: two composers as united in their devotion to the Catholic faith as they are divergent in their approaches to writing music.

The programme begins with Bruckner’s monumental Eighth Symphony, with Rattle leading the London Symphony Orchestra through its 1939 edition, prepared by the Austrian musicologist Robert Haas. The composer’s last complete symphony, it has since become characterised by its explosive, dramatic nature and immense scale. Taking Bruckner over five years to compose and revise, it would only be performed three times whilst he was alive.

In stark contrast to the magnitude of Bruckner’s Eighth, Messiaen’s Couleurs de la Cité Céleste lasts just over quarter of an hour. The 20th-century work comprises sequences of short episodes and serves as a microcosm of the composer’s various preoccupations, from birdsong to the book of Revelations. Centered on the piano and performed by a reduced orchestra, Aimard takes to the stage, offering an expert rendition of Messiaen’s often overlooked work.

Composer Anton Bruckner; Olivier Messiaen
Conductor Sir Simon Rattle
Performers London Symphony Orchestra
Soloist Pierre-Laurent Aimard (Piano)

Bruckner: Symphony No 8 in C minor (Haas Edition)

1. Allegro moderato
2. Scherzo – Allegro moderato. Trio – Langsam
3. Adagio – Feierlich langsam, doch nicht schleppend
4. Finale – Feierlich, nicht schnell

Messiaen:

1. Couleurs de la Cité Céleste

Release Date 11 May 2018
LSO3042 | 0822231304296

Film Director François-René Martin
Audio Producer Nicholas Parker
Audio Engineers Classic Sound Ltd
Recorded April 2016, in the Barbican Hall, London

Booklet in English

Blu-ray + DVD 2 disc standard Blu-ray case
Stereo 24bit 48kHz PCM
Total playing time 1h 44m