Olivier Messiaen

Éclairs sur l'Au-Delà...

Éclairs sur l'Au-Delà... (Lightning Over the Beyond... ) is the final completed work of the composer Olivier Messiaen. Scored for a very large orchestra of over a hundred players and unusually

Title#

“Éclairs” are flashes of lightning; “sur” translates in this context as over rather than on (cf. éclairs sur Paris, lightning over Paris); “l’Au-delà”, capitalized, refers to the Hereafter, the afterlife, or, literally, the beyond. Messiaen extends the imagery of the heavenly city with pearly gates described in the Book of Revelation. The weather event has the light, representing Jesus, and links to space and astronomy — two of the three threads in the 70-minute composition. Expression of theological ideas from the Catholic faith, and an often ecstatic intention, are characteristic of the composer.

Structure#

The third thread, birdsong, is transcribed into several of the eleven movements of the score. The specific birdsong used originates in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Singapore. Messiaen’s sole visit to Australia was during the Australian Bicentenary in 1988, during the period he was writing Éclairs. Messiaen had used Australian birdsong before, for example in Saint François d’Assise. Another of his favorite techniques, modes of limited transposition, are also used. The movements are: #“Apparition du Christ glorieux” (Apparition of the Glorious Christ) #“La constellation du Sagittaire” (The Constellation of Sagittarius) #“L’oiseau-lyre et la ville-fiancée” (The Lyrebird and the Bridal City) #“Les élus marqués du sceau” (The Elected Ones Marked With the Seal) #“Demeurer dans l’amour” (To Abide in Love) #“Les Sept Anges aux sept trompettes” (The Seven Angels On the Seven Trumpets) #“Et Dieu essuiera toute larme de leurs yeux” (And God Will Wipe Every Tear From Their Eyes) #“Les étoiles et la gloire” (The Stars and Glory) #“Plusieurs oiseaux des arbres de vie” (Several Birds of the Trees of Life) #“Le chemin de l’invisible” (The Way of the Invisible) #“Le Christ, lumière du Paradis” (The Christ, Light of Paradise)

Instrumentation#

The work is scored for an orchestra of 128, consisting of: *woodwinds – 3 piccolos, 6 flutes, alto flute, 3 oboes, English horn, 2 E clarinets, 6 clarinets in B-flat, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon *brass – 2 trumpets in D, 3 trumpets in C, 6 horns (in F and B-flat; horns 1, 3, 5: high, horns 2, 4, 6: low), 3 trombones (tenor-bass), 2 tubas in C, contrabass tuba in C *keyboard percussion – crotales, glockenspiel, xylophone, xylorimba, marimba *percussion (10 players) – *strings – 16 first violins, 16 second violins, 14 violas, 12 cellos, 10 double basses (with 5 strings).

Composer: Olivier Messiaen