France and French Influence

The BBC Music Magazine offering this time around has a French theme with music by Poulenc, Messiaen and Stravinsky. Stravinsky ? Well, the excuse is that he was resident in Paris when the work concerned was composed. That work is the Symphony of Psalms performed here by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus under Sir Andrew Davis. I already own two other recordings of this work but hearing it in the context here reveals certain connections with the sound world of Messiaen that had previously not occured to me. Stravinsky had magpie tendencies but which way any influence may have gone I am not expert enough to suggest. The Poulenc piece is his Gloria, also played by the BBCSO and Chorus under Davis and with soprano Christine Brewer taking the solo part. Poulenc had ambiguous relations with his religious beliefs and that is reflected by the less than reverent settings of some of the texts here. Not really my cup of tea but given a decent performance. The most compelling performance on the disk however is reserved for the instrumental piece by Messiaen, L'Ascension, performed by the BBC scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Jurowski. Some of Messaien's indiosyncracies are evident, such as bird song interludes, but the piece has a sober relentless drive that is most impressive.