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WWhat happens when you combine one of the 2000s’ busiest and most exciting movies with your favorite cartoon? The result would have been an unholy mess, but what emerged from the inspired collaboration of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was a multi-award winner. 1927 Studios it was a victory.
Olivier Messiaen’s Turangalîla-symphonie is based on the tale of Tristan and Isolde, its 80 minutes filled with the joy of the outpouring of physical and spiritual love. The 100 or so singers were unfazed by the rigors of the task as Vasily Petrenko led them through the orchestral setting of this highly complex performance. The light temperature brought out the big peaks, yet none of the author’s vivid colors were ever compromised. Steven Osborne, the aging solo pianist, was impressive in the shimmering setting with Cécile Lartigau’s eerie glissandos on ondes Martenot cutting brilliantly through the orchestral maelstrom.
The film, a tribute to the best years of silent films, was shown on a screen above the stage. With its hot story of unwilling brides, fighters, jealous kings and dirty bullets, at first it seemed that it could disrupt the music. In the second movement, however, it became clear that the activity was related to the heart rate. Between the filmmakers and Petrenko, the musical score and dramatic events were so closely intertwined that it was impossible not to relax, sit back and enjoy the journey.
And what a party it was! An unsettling, cleverly informed mix of real-life scenes reminiscent of the performances of Gloria Swanson, Douglas Fairbanks and Lon Chaney, with stop-motion scenes that wouldn’t sound out of place in a Monty Python episode. At one point, Petrenko, who somehow managed to get into the film, turned to the audience and directed. Once, red flowers bloomed from all the remains of the happy lovers. The key to all of this was how the deliberately light and playful images were able to blend well with Messiaen’s intoxicating music.
