After receiving the commission from Alice Tully, Olivier Messiaen sought suitable inspiration and found it in the canyons of Utah. Five decades ago, the Utah Symphony Orchestra first performed this work at that very location, which later served as the basis for the current studio recording.
During his stay, Messiaen not only documented the songs of various bird species but also the colors of the rocks. These impressions, along with the beauty of the birds, flowed into the composition, which was written for large orchestra, string ensemble, and solo piano. The premiere took place in 1974.
In this late creative phase, Messiaen returned to his characteristic, richly colored harmonies: E major symbolized orange and violet for him, while A major embodied the blue of the sky. The composition consists of three sections, each subdivided into several movements.
The individual movements depict motifs such as the desert landscape, the song of the oriole, the song of the stars, and various bird species. Each of these passages conveys distinctive sonic impressions and leads to a musical climax. These are followed by solo piano sections and dialogues between birdsong and orchestra, distinguished by their high artistic merit.
Messiaen's work is characterized by the song of the stars, a multitude of birds, and the sonic rendering of natural phenomena. With its individual timbres and compositional techniques, each movement creates a vivid picture of the canyons of Utah.