Led by the head conductor Edo de Waart, deFilharmonie will be tackling Olivier Messiaen's striking Turangalîla Symphony. In his 'Traité de rythme, de couleur, et d'ornithologie' he wrote: "The Turangalîla Symphony is a love song, a hymn to a superhuman, ovewhelming, blinding and boundless joy. Love is fatal, irresistable, all-conquering, …" Commissioned by conductor Serge Koussevitsky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, this masterpiece was composed between 1946 and 1948. In 1949, Messiaen's creation was conducted by the young Leonard Bernstein. With its ingenious accumulation of rhythmic figures - including the turangalîla motif from the hindu music tradition - and its ultra-fine, diversified colouring, this symphony demands everybody's attention. For those prepared to give it, and to engage with this breathtakingly ecstatic vision, a miracle awaits. This is a tour de force for conductor, orchestra and soloists alike. No fewer than eleven percussionists are on stand-by in an orchestra of over a hundred musicians. Look out for the appealing ondes martenot, an instrument from the pioneering days of electronic music.