This recording of the performance by Michael Kieran Harvey with narration by Peter Cundall of Messiaen's Catalogue d'oiseaux was presented by Ten Days on the Island over the 2nd and 3rd of April 2005 at Morrilla in Tasmania."... the most arresting performance ... came from Michael Kieran Harvey. This pianist has recently recorded the complete Messiaen Catalogue d'oiseaux, a mammoth undertaking and a cruel test for any pianist. Between two of the shorter pieces - Le loriot and L'alouette lulu - Harvey beat a fascinating path through the half hour of La rousserolle effaruette, an entire world of wildlife in itself rather than an unadorned picture of the reed warbler. With impressive concentration and his trademark virtuosic brilliance, Harvey stormed through these pages, relishing their clanging explosions of colour and underlying ferocity but clearly outlining the segment's palindrome-like nature, motifs and sound patterns moulded around a central axis with an almost unnerving rigour."Clive O'Connell, The Age, reviewing the 2006 Piano Landmarks mini-festival

Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Peter Cundall introduction / part 1
2. Narration and motifs
3. I. The Alpine Chough
4. Narration and motifs
5. II. The Golden Oriole
6. Narration and motifs
7. III. The Blue Rock Thrush
8. Narration and motifs
9. IV. The Black-eared Wheatear
10. Narration and motifs
11. V. The Tawny Owl

Disc 2:

1. Peter Cundall introduction / part 2
2. Narration and motifs
3. VI. The Woodlark
4. Narration and motifs
5. VII. The Reed Warbler
6. Narration and motifs
7. VIII. The Short-toed Lark
8. Narration and motifs
9. IX. Cetti's Warbler

Disc 3:

1. Peter Cundall introduction / part 3
2. Narration and motifs
3. X. The Rock Thrush
4. Narration and motifs
5. XI. The Buzzard
6. Narration and motifs
7. XII. The Black Wheatear
8. Narration and motifs
9. XIII. The Curlew