🇫🇷Olivier Messiaen ： Preludes – Cloches d’angoisse et larmes d’adieu

The sixth piece, titled “Bells of Anguish and Tears of Farewell,” is a prelude in which long-lasting, bell-like resonance intersects with a quiet tension suggesting profound sorrow. Rather than placing a simple melody in the foreground, it evokes a slowly shifting sense of time through changes in resonance and layers of sound. From the opening to the close, a key point of listening is to attend to the changing density of the sonority and the subtle fluctuations in dynamics. In performance, the notes should not be dispatched hurriedly; the resonance should be carefully supported with the pedal while taking care not to blur the overlapping voices. An awareness of bells at varying distances and a breath-like quality akin to tears can help preserve inner movement within the stillness and convey the work’s expressive character.