Messiaen Turangalîla

Imagine an explosion of love on a cosmic scale. Mix in 1940s film score, a pounding rhythmic workout and the sounds of a Javanese gamelan, all washed in blissful impressionist colours. Now add a huge orchestra, a world-class pianist and a vintage electronic instrument straight out of science fiction and you’re still not even halfway to imagining Messiaen’s mind-boggling Turangalîla-Symphonie. 77 years after its premiere, it still sounds like nothing on earth. 

‘A love song, a hymn to joy, time, movement, rhythm, life and death’ was how Messiaen himself described this vast, vibrant psychedelic masterpiece, and Vasily Petrenko and a super-sized Royal Philharmonic Orchestra turn the volume up to 11. This is music that contains multitudes: every performance is a special occasion. Don’t miss this one. 

This performance is part of the Southbank Centre’s Multitudes festival

Large print versions and digital formats of the programme for this concert are available on request for customers with accessibility requirements. Please email your request to Doran Crowhurst crowhurstd@rpo.co.uk at least one full week before the performance.