>oraison - messiaen

https://youtu.be/6EU0ISo996A
never heard much of messiaen, sure he's also one of the many iconic contemporary
musicians but what is so special about him i've yet to find out
this piece has been sitting in the library for some time ever since i took interest
in the cover since it appeared on the explore page. i only listened to it recently
because i haven't felt much like listening to anything new. to my surprise, only
playing this because why not wasn't at all disappointing.
there is classic in electronic, aspects of classical music in the electronic genre,
but who knew there was also electronic in classic. the genre long existed before it
was actually a thing when these so-called contemporary composers experimented with
electronic instruments, recording and mixing sounds with technology available
during their time, at least in stockhausen's case. it's so cool to actually know
the origin of a movement, or at least what directly influenced it.
although, unlike stockhausen with recorded pieces, this oraison, as much as it's
still intended for an electronic instrument, was actually composed for live
performances. the ondes martenot, what it was written for, surprisingly resembles
today's theremin. who made the instrument and what for, and why messiaen chose that
instrument in particular i'm not sure, but while it sounds extraterrestrial, it
could resemble human voice very much.
yes it was originally composed for four ondes martenots in 1937, later in 1940 as a
war prisoner he transcribed oraison for the cello and piano as the 5th movement of
his quartet for the end of time, entitled louange a l'eternite de jesus, praise to
the eternity of jesus, who knew messiaen was very religious, but it's not
surprising considering many other composers of his time are also heavily influenced
by catholicism/christianity.
knowing the piece was probably directed towards the divine, no wonder it sounds
oddly serene, it's like being submerged, fully soaked as if you are being cleansed
all the way through. it's just all the way redemptive. to say it inspires ecstacy
is also fitting, but it isn't the kind that makes you energetic. it's only this
sort of tranquility, a lot like a postlude. eargasm could be used to describe the
piece too, but how closely related the word is to intercourse just seems unfitting
with the sacred nature of the piece.

>vocalise etude - messiaen

https://youtu.be/RECtDJ6UGBk
besides being a cath bro, who knew he was also a bird expert, so naturally one
could expect him to take inspiration from bird songs. maybe those bird songs also
made it to this etude, i'm not sure, but just look at how it doesn't have any
lyrics and how it's specifically made to practice vocal techniques.
the piece itself sounds just as beautiful as oraison. unlike submerging though,
this one is more like melting into hot fugde, other times it feels like looking
through a crystal. this one very brief motif at 1:21 is just stunning, have a
listen for yourself and don't tell me you don't find anything in it. the harmony is
just as breathtaking, like bro that is just very subtle.
the whole piece is just as beautiful, sounds a lot like a winter night. thankfully
this isn't all that difficult to transcribe for the violin considering how melodic
it is.

>presumably dead arm - sidney gish

https://youtu.be/DuXsQd6hjBI
discovered this song in 10th grade, still holds a special place for whatever
reason. the song isn't all that complex, it's only the same melody repeated, but
the build up over the course of the song is just one to hold dear. the singer going
from whispering to gasping for breath just felt like something, and the resolve at
the end, how it returns to this soft lullaby-like singing is not the most
satisfying but there's a charm in that dissatisfaction
although this might just be me exaggerating the song itself out of the emotional
attachment i've grown to it over time. it isn't all that special really, there
wasn't anything going on during that two years ago, maybe besides academic pressure
and desolation. how even that relates to the song, one can only wonder, really, but
listening this every car ride home after school feeling like shit for whatever
reason really was a vibe. maybe it was the company the song, through the singer,
provided back then. the lullaby like harmony was very soothing, but the existential
dread subtly found in the lyrics just felt like a realistic company.
years later i revisited this song, i realized that i can't fully comprehend the
context of the lyrics. the contradiction, what do you mean refering to a person as
nothing special yet yearning or holding certain intimacy to them. the occasional
side tracks are just as confusing, unless they are meant as comedic relief. what
exactly does the song mean as a whole? is it the fear of getting old? is it the
fear of loss? is it disattachment for one's own good? really i have no idea, but
the build up never gets old