Olivier Messiaen was a free-spirited man, able to artfully embrace the legacy of the French tradition, his interest in Catholicism and his study of oriental music. His admiration for Igor Stravinsky, whose Symphony of Psalms closes the first part of this concert, was also fundamental to the start of his career. Next, the “Liturgical Symphony” by Honegger, written in 1945-46, evokes the horrors of World War II and the desire for a lasting peace.

Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester
Gulbenkian Choir
Lorenzo Viotti Conductor

Olivier Messiaen
Les offrandes oubliées

Igor Stravinsky
Symphony of Psalms

Arthur Honegger
Symphony No.3, Liturgique