Steven Osborne, Martin Roscoe - Olivier Messiaen - Visions de l’Amen (2004)

Steven Osborne continues his enthralling performances of Messiaen's piano works, with Martin Roscoe joining him for the two-piano Visions de l'Amen. The two of them are flawlessly matched in their strength, control, and range of expression, even though for much of the work the two piano parts are largely independent. They move together from twinkling, distant starlight passages to powerful, brilliant solar flare-like passages. Osborne and Roscoe, although painting large pictures in the seven movements, demand that attention be paid to the details in the music. The "Amen du désir" has such a soft, quiet opening, it brings to mind the watercolors of Debussy's music, and later in the same movement the percussion of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring is also present. It's an engrossing performance of an engrossing piece. Three small, solo pieces of Messiaen's fill out the disc. The Pièce pour le tombeau de Paul Dukas is solemn, but not somber until the end, and Osborne gives its block chords a monumental weightiness, suggesting a double entendre in the title. The Rondeau is less complex and far-reaching than Messiaen's larger works, but still has that visionary wonder and joy. The final Fantaisie burlesque has interesting episodes, but the humorous, jazzy refrain gets old fast, despite Osborne's trying to keep it light.