Kristoffer Hyldig
Messiaen: Vingt Regards Sur L'Enfant-Jésus
OUR 6220677-78 (two discs; downloads to 96kHz/24-bit resolution)
Hyldig's measured tempi take some getting used to, much slower than the definitive Loriod, but the effort pays off with a cumulative experience of devotional concentration across two and a half hours. It wouldn't have nearly the same impact without an outstandingly ambient DXD recording that will reward the fanciest kit at your disposal. You can almost reach out and touch the ppp chords of the 'First Communion' and the bass partials underpinning 'I sleep, but my heart keeps watch'. The polyphonic starbursts of (6) and (10) don't feel slow because Hyldig articulates them with maximum force and clarity – I kept turning the volume up. PQ Peter Quantrill, September 29, 2023 https://www.hifinews.com/content/classical-september-2023