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AGP177 - Music for Ondes Martenot (1968) Olivier Messiaen, Fete des Belles Eaux for sextet of Ondes Martenot, Side A [24:19] [MP3] Olivier Messiaen, Fete des Belles Eaux for sextet of Ondes Martenot, Side B [5:35] [MP3] Darius Milhaud, Suite for Martenot and piano [9:50] [MP3] Jacques Charpentier, Lalita for Ondes Martenot and percussion [9:46] [MP3] Olivier Messiaen, Fete des Belles Eaux for sextet of Ondes Martenot, Side A [24:19] [FLAC] Olivier Messiaen, Fete des Belles Eaux for sextet of Ondes Martenot, Side B [5:35] [FLAC] Darius Milhaud, Suite for Martenot and piano [9:50] [FLAC] Jacques Charpentier, Lalita for Ondes Martenot and percussion [9:46] [FLAC] AGP 177 notes [TXT] LP liner notes [PDF] NOTES AGP177 is the second of two featuring music played on the Ondes Martenot--one of the first electronic instruments, invented by Maurice Martenot in 1928. The Wikipedia article on the instrument has some nice information and pictures. The LP transcribed for AGP177 was recorded in 1968 for Erato, and re-released by the Musical Heritage Society (MHS 821), which is the pressing I have. The LP is in excellent condition and the pressing is reasonably quiet, but the recording is much darker with less fine detail than the LP transcribed for AGP176. The highlight is Olivier Messiaen's Fete des Belles Eaux for six (!) Ondes Martenot, written for the 1937 Paris Exposition. Another recording of this work is available on CD, played by Ensemble d'Ondes de Montreal and released by Atma Classique. I was going to include a transcription of The Contemporary Chamber Ensemble performing Edgar Varese's Equatorial for bass voice and an instrumental ensemble that includes two Ondes Martenot, but that recording is available as an mp3 download from the Nonesuch website. The installment includes a PDF file with scans of the notes on the cover of this LP and the LP transcribed for AGP176, including information on the composers, works, and performers.  UbuWeb Sound | UbuWeb