The Messiaen Companion
Tags: #music #classical music #composition #analysis #biography #birdsong
Authors: Peter Hill
 (Z-Library)_thumbnail.jpg)
Overview
My book, The Messiaen Companion, offers a new and deeper look at the life and music of one of the twentieth century’s most original and influential composers, Olivier Messiaen. Although he was a devout Catholic, his appeal extends far beyond those who share his specific beliefs. In my view, this is because his music engages with universal themes – time, space, love, death, eternity – in a way that is at once deeply personal and profoundly mystical. I explore Messiaen’s lifelong fascination with nature, in particular with birdsong, and his synaesthesia, which enabled him to experience colours when he heard music. I trace the development of his musical language from early works like Le banquet céleste and the Préludes through the pivotal Quatuor pour la fin du temps, composed while he was a prisoner of war, to the monumental cycles of the 1950s and 1960s – the Messe de la Pentecôte, Livre d’orgue, the Catalogue d’oiseaux, and Chronochromie. Throughout the book I analyze the relationship between Messiaen’s theological ideas, his ‘magical’ view of the world and his compositional techniques, drawing on my own experience as a performer of his music and on conversations I had with the composer himself and with his wife, the pianist Yvonne Loriod. A series of essays by leading Messiaen scholars complement my own contributions, offering a rich tapestry of perspectives on his life and music. Finally, I examine Messiaen’s only opera, Saint François d’Assise, a work that brought together all the strands of his art in an extraordinary and challenging synthesis. Ultimately, my book aims to illuminate the unique power of Messiaen’s music to transcend the limitations of human language and to offer a glimpse of the divine.
Book Outline
1. Introduction
My book offers a comprehensive overview of Olivier Messiaen’s life and musical works, exploring the evolution of his unique style and influences across his 70-year career. Unlike previous accounts that have portrayed Messiaen as a monolithic figure, I aim to reveal the multifaceted nature of his personality and music. A key theme I explore is the steadfastness of Messiaen’s adherence to core principles. His early music already exhibits a distinctive language and technique that continued to resonate in his works decades later, creating a remarkable continuity across his entire oeuvre.
Key concept: Although it is possible to separate Messiaen’s life into sections, to do so is, in his case, especially artificial; for perhaps Messiaen’s most remarkable trait was the firmness with which he kept faith with a basic set of principles, so that the language (and to a very great degree the technique) of Messiaen’s earliest music is still apparent in the music composed sixty or so years later.
2. Messiaen’s Musical Language: an Introduction
Messiaen’s musical language is deeply rooted in modality, drawing inspiration from diverse sources like Gregorian chant, Indian classical music, and non-Western musical traditions. His use of modes extended beyond simply employing existing modal scales. He innovated by developing a system of ‘modes of limited transposition’, which expanded the harmonic and melodic possibilities of modal writing and gave his music its characteristic exotic flavor.
Key concept: All that is necessary for music to be modal is that it should adhere to the notes of a mode, and, this being so, it is hardly surprising that the most telling characteristic of both diatonic and non-diatonic modal music is a sense of improvisation – whether contemplative or frenetic – within a static atmosphere.
3. Organ Music I
This chapter focuses on Messiaen’s early organ works, exploring the relationship between his musical ideas and his deep religious convictions. It highlights the significant role of extra-musical ideas, particularly theological ones, in Messiaen’s compositional process. Through detailed analysis of works such as ‘Les eaux de la grâce’ and ‘La Nativité du Seigneur’, I demonstrate how Messiaen used the unique timbral and technical resources of the organ to evoke a sense of the spiritual and the mystical. This chapter also discusses the challenges of interpreting Messiaen’s organ music, as the notated score does not always fully represent the intended sonic experience.
Key concept: The copious annotation of ‘Les eaux de la grâce’, the rich documentation of what Messiaen regarded as essential to its conception and its interpretation, is characteristic of the composer.
4. Piano Music I
This chapter examines Messiaen’s early piano music, focusing on the Préludes and Visions de l’Amen. I trace the evolution of his distinctive piano style, from the introspective intimacy of the Préludes to the monumental grandeur of Visions. The discussion highlights the important influence of Yvonne Loriod, Messiaen’s student, future wife, and dedicated musical collaborator. Visions, composed specifically for Loriod and Messiaen to perform together, marks a turning point in his career, showcasing the piano as a vehicle for expressing profound religious ideas in a bold and expansive way.
Key concept: From the perspective of the Préludes the step to Visions is a giant one, from scrupulous sensitivity of detail to music which is epic in its scale and ambition.
5. The Songs and Song Cycles
This chapter explores Messiaen’s vocal music, specifically his song cycles, focusing on the remarkable way he handles the voice. Messiaen’s sensitivity to the mechanics of the female voice is evident in the way he writes for the soprano, utilizing its full range and power without strain or forcing. The chapter also highlights the importance of the texts, which are all by Messiaen himself except for one setting of a poem by his mother. These texts, filled with powerful imagery and spiritual symbolism, are inextricably linked to his music, creating a unique and compelling vocal language that transcends traditional notions of art song.
Key concept: Deftly mingling eroticism with spiritual radiance, he creates an entrancing vocal language, which uses the voice to its fullest and most satisfying capacity.
6. Instrumental, Orchestral, and Choral Works to 1948
This chapter covers Messiaen’s instrumental, orchestral, and choral works up to 1948, focusing on the early development of his mature style. The discussion centers on the significance of Les offrandes oubliées, his first acknowledged orchestral work, as a remarkable example of Messiaen establishing his artistic voice with a mature and complete vision. The chapter also highlights the impact of external events on his music, particularly the transformative experience of World War II, which led to the composition of the landmark Quatuor pour la fin du temps. The Quatuor, written while he was a prisoner of war, marks a pivotal point in his career, with its innovative use of rhythm and unconventional instrumentation prefiguring later developments in his music.
Key concept: So much for the cold facts which surrounded, in more senses than one, the birth of perhaps the single most significant work that Messiaen was ever to compose, in that the Quatuor is the technical source from which all of his subsequent output was directly to spring. With hindsight we can now perceive that the Quatuor is the hinge on which Messiaen’s entire life’s work turns, away from dependence on the essentially private inspiration of the early organ works and song cycles, and towards an unambiguous acceptance of the composer’s public role.
7. Colour
This chapter explores the fascinating topic of color in Messiaen’s music, focusing on his synaesthesia, a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in another sensory pathway. Messiaen experienced colors when he heard music. While acknowledging the challenge of understanding synaesthesia, I argue that, by studying Messiaen’s compositional techniques and his own descriptions of his color experiences, we can gain a deeper appreciation of how color shapes and informs his musical language. The chapter provides detailed analyses of how Messiaen associated specific colors with his ‘modes of limited transposition’ and with particular harmonic structures, highlighting the importance of absolute pitch level and chord spacing in his color perception.
Key concept: One gathers that the ‘complex of sounds’ which Messiaen had in mind on this occasion is in fact non-modal, for two reasons: first, because none of the colour combinations mentioned bears even an approximate resemblance to the modal associations collected elsewhere; second, because Messiaen spoke of twelve transpositions, each with its distinctive array of colours – a result which could not be obtained with the modes, since their ‘limited’ nature ensures that the pitch content of a complex drawn from a particular transposition of such a mode would fall again within that transposition after only 3, 4 or 6 successive moves upward (or downward) by a semitone.
8. Mysticism and Theology
This chapter delves into the theological and mystical dimensions of Messiaen’s music, examining the interplay between his deep Catholic faith and his artistic vision. It explores his fascination with the ‘charm of impossibilities’, a concept that encompasses both mathematical principles and mystical ideas, and how this fascination manifests itself in his musical language. Messiaen’s use of cyclic repetitions, unusual tempos, and complex rhythmic structures are all seen as reflections of his belief in the eternal and the transcendent. The chapter also touches on the challenges of understanding and appreciating the religious content of Messiaen’s music for those who do not share his faith.
Key concept: The ‘charm of impossibilities’ indeed holds the key to Messiaen’s sensibility. Conceived as a self-sufficient guarantee of musical value, it confirms his general fascination with things magical, which also lies behind his emphasis on the mystical and the miraculous in Christian epic.
9. The End of Time: a Biblical Theme in Messiaen’s Quatuor
This chapter focuses on the theological implications of Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps, exploring how the work engages with the biblical theme of the ‘end of time’. I argue that while the Quatuor’s narrative structure loosely follows the events surrounding the announcement of the end of time as described in the Book of Revelation, its real significance lies in its exploration of different kinds of musical time. The work’s innovative use of isorhythmic patterns, non-retrograde rhythms, and its disregard for traditional time signatures, are all seen as expressions of Messiaen’s desire to break free from linear conceptions of time and to evoke a sense of eternity and timelessness in his music.
Key concept: Messiaen succeeds in writing a work which focuses the audience’s attention on time and rhythm, but whether he is equally successful in establishing the link which exists in his own mind between time as a musical concern and also as a theological one, is another matter.
10. Birdsong
This chapter explores Messiaen’s lifelong fascination with birdsong and examines its significance both as a source of musical material and as a symbol of spiritual transcendence. It traces the development of his use of birdsong from early works like L’Ascension to his mature compositions, highlighting the increasing realism and complexity of his birdsong transcriptions. The chapter also discusses the symbolic meaning of birdsong for Messiaen, particularly its association with freedom, joy, and the divine. I also address the criticisms levelled at Messiaen’s birdsong transcriptions by ornithologists, emphasizing that while Messiaen aimed for accuracy, he was ultimately guided by his own personal and artistic interpretation of the sounds he heard in nature.
Key concept: ‘Our little servants of immaterial joy’ is how Messiaen describes birds in Technique de mon langage musical, and the symbolic implication of birdsong in this connection in Messiaen’s early work has already been mentioned.
11. Messiaen as Teacher
This chapter offers reflections on Messiaen as a teacher, focusing on the transformative power of his example. Several of his former students, including Pierre Boulez, George Benjamin, and myself, share their experiences and highlight the unique qualities that made him such an inspirational and influential figure. Messiaen’s teaching is characterized by a profound respect for the individuality of each student, a willingness to nurture their unique talents, and a deep passion for exploring the boundless possibilities of music. The chapter also explores the paradoxical combination of generosity and ‘fundamental egoism’ that allowed Messiaen to be a giving teacher while remaining true to his own artistic vision.
Key concept: The miracle lies in the teacher combining this generous giving with the ability to preserve intact his fundamental egoism as a creative artist, which is the sole guarantee of his generosity.
12. Piano Music II
This chapter delves into Messiaen’s later piano works, focusing on the Catalogue d’oiseaux, with its monumental scope and challenges. I explore how the work’s structure, inspired by Messiaen’s meticulous observations of birds and their habitats, transcends the limitations of traditional musical form. The chapter highlights Messiaen’s innovative use of rhythm, his mastery of piano sonority, and his ability to convey the essence of each bird’s song through his own unique pianistic language. I also offer insights into Messiaen’s personal approach to performance, emphasizing the importance of phrasing, rhythmic flexibility, and the subtle use of color and dynamic nuance.
Key concept: In virtuoso passages Messiaen was a stickler for clarity, yet even the most complex torrents of birdsong were to be shaped poetically – ‘never like an étude,’ he frequently insisted.
13. Organ Music II
This chapter examines Messiaen’s later organ works, focusing on the Messe de la Pentecôte and Livre d’orgue. I explore his ongoing fascination with the organ’s unique sonic and technical possibilities. The chapter discusses how Messiaen developed his characteristic organ style through years of improvisation and experimentation, culminating in the complex and highly original rhythmic techniques showcased in these works. I also delve into the challenges of interpreting and performing Messiaen’s organ music on instruments other than the Cavaillé-Coll organ at La Trinité, for which these works were conceived, highlighting the importance of understanding the composer’s aesthetic preferences and his unique approach to registration.
Key concept: For Messiaen, rhythm meant the opposite of our common understanding of the term. For him it was the antithesis of metre and its strict regulation of the beat, its precise divisions.
14. Orchestral Music of the 1950s and 1960s
This chapter examines Messiaen’s orchestral music from the 1950s and 1960s, a period of intense creativity and stylistic experimentation. I trace the influence of various factors on his music, including his fascination with birdsong, his exploration of synaesthesia, and his deep religious faith. The chapter analyzes works such as Réveil des oiseaux, Oiseaux exotiques, Chronochromie, and Sept haïkaï, showcasing Messiaen’s innovative use of rhythm, timbre, and orchestration. I argue that, during this period, Messiaen moved decisively away from traditional notions of melody and harmony, embracing a more textural and coloristic approach to musical composition, anticipating later developments in timbral music.
Key concept: Cultural, historic and stylistic promiscuity was Messiaen’s hallmark long before post-modernism had proclaimed its creed.
15. La Transfiguration de Notre-Seigneur Jésus-Christ
This chapter examines La Transfiguration de Notre-Seigneur Jésus-Christ, Messiaen’s longest orchestral work apart from his opera. I explore how the work, through its monumental scale, complex rhythmic language, and richly orchestrated sonic tapestry, attempts to capture the sublime and inexpressible mystery of the divine. The chapter analyzes the work’s unique structure, drawing parallels with the Christian Passion music tradition and with the liturgical Eucharist. The significance of the text, a ‘mosaic’ of Latin passages drawn from the Bible and the writings of St Thomas Aquinas, is also discussed in relation to Messiaen’s theological vision and his unique approach to musical symbolism.
Key concept: La Transfiguration is already, in its first septénaire, a substantial work. That Messiaen should add a second septénaire, even more massive and constructed on exactly the same plan, might seem supernumenary, were it not that cyclical recurrence is the heart of the divine mystery.
16. Des canyons aux étoiles …
This chapter focuses on Des canyons aux étoiles …, a work inspired by Messiaen’s fascination with the grandeur and beauty of the Utah canyons. I argue that the work, through its vivid orchestration, imaginative use of rhythm and color, and its overall architectural design, offers a powerful and moving musical portrait of the natural world. The chapter also explores the challenges of balancing musical form and programmatic content in a work of this scale, noting that, while Messiaen’s meticulous attention to detail and his reliance on extra-musical inspiration are key elements in the work’s success, they can also, at times, lead to a certain predictability and routine in the musical language.
Key concept: Images of the American canyons must be etched on every mind, although, to comprehend their enormous scale and extraordinary rock formations, you must physically go there, wandering, perhaps for several days, along the upper rims and trekking down, with amazed incredulity, into their deep inner valleys.
17. Saint François d’Assise
This chapter examines Messiaen’s only opera, Saint François d’Assise. I explore how the composer, after a lifetime of composing primarily instrumental music, was finally persuaded to tackle this monumental genre, drawn to the subject of St. Francis, a figure he saw as a kindred spirit. The chapter explores the opera’s unique blend of traditional and modern elements, showcasing the composer’s fascination with medieval chant, birdsong, and the mystical aspects of Catholicism. It also addresses the staging challenges of a work that attempts to depict the spiritual and the miraculous on a theatrical stage.
Key concept: The reason for the simplicity of the vocal lines may be found in Messiaen’s doctrine of transcription, in his attempt ‘to trace as exact as possible a musical portrait’ of each of his medieval characters as well as of his birds.
18. Eclairs sur l’au-delà
This chapter explores Eclairs sur l’au-delà …, Messiaen’s final orchestral work, a monumental and visionary exploration of life after death and the heavenly Jerusalem. I argue that the work, through its vast sonic landscapes, its juxtaposition of the familiar and the new, and its powerful evocation of the eternal, represents a culmination of Messiaen’s lifelong artistic and spiritual journey. The chapter also highlights the piece’s innovative use of orchestral and percussion forces, and explores the challenges of performing and interpreting a work of such complexity and scale.
Key concept: The melody unfolds only because it is being played and heard by people still on earth: it is the extension on to our time scale of an instant. And similarly the triangles are projecting a reverberation which does not stop until time itself has stopped.
19. Appendix: The Organ at La Sainte Trinité, Paris
This appendix describes the organ at La Sainte Trinité in Paris, where Messiaen served as organist for over sixty years. The organ’s rich and powerful sound, particularly its abundance of reeds and mutation stops, had a profound influence on Messiaen’s organ music. I highlight the significance of the organ’s specification, its tonal characteristics, and the particular stops that Messiaen favored, offering insights into the composer’s unique approach to registration and the sonic world he sought to create.
Key concept: Messiaen told me the Récit/Positif was quite unplayable before this addition!
20. Interview with Yvonne Loriod
This chapter presents an interview with Yvonne Loriod, Messiaen’s second wife and longtime musical collaborator. The interview provides a unique and intimate perspective on Messiaen’s life, work, and personality, covering a wide range of topics, including his compositional process, his teaching methods, his fascination with birdsong, his religious faith, and the challenges of being a contemporary composer. Loriod offers valuable insights into the technical aspects of Messiaen’s music, particularly his innovative use of rhythm and his precise notation. She also discusses her own role in shaping and interpreting his works, and shares her thoughts on the best approaches to performing his piano and organ music.
Key concept: Messiaen’s music was so difficult to play… no matter how difficult a passage was that he placed in front of you, you always seemed to master it immediately and without any problem…
Essential Questions
1. What are the key elements of Messiaen’s musical language?
Messiaen’s music is often characterized by its use of modality, rhythm, and color. His ‘modes of limited transposition’ allowed him to create unique harmonic and melodic structures, while his rhythmic innovations, such as the use of additive rhythms and non-retrogradable rhythms, challenged traditional notions of musical time. His synaesthesia, the ability to experience colors when hearing music, further informed his compositional process, leading to the creation of works with distinctive color associations. These elements, combined with his profound religious faith and his fascination with nature, particularly birdsong, contribute to the unique and distinctive character of his music.
2. What is the significance of the Quatuor pour la fin du temps in Messiaen’s development as a composer?
The Quatuor pour la fin du temps, composed in a prisoner-of-war camp during World War II, marks a pivotal point in Messiaen’s career. The work not only showcases his innovative use of rhythm and his unconventional instrumentation but also reflects his deep spiritual faith in the face of adversity. The experience of composing and performing the Quatuor in such challenging circumstances solidified Messiaen’s artistic vision and set the stage for his later explorations of nature and the divine in works like the Catalogue d’oiseaux and the Méditations sur le mystère de la Sainte Trinité.
3. How did Messiaen’s use of birdsong evolve throughout his career?
Messiaen’s use of birdsong evolved from stylized representations in early works to increasingly realistic and detailed transcriptions in later compositions. Initially, he used birdsong primarily as a melodic element or as a symbol of joy and freedom. However, with works like Réveil des oiseaux and the Catalogue d’oiseaux, his focus shifted to capturing the unique character and timbre of each bird’s song. His transcriptions became more intricate and complex, reflecting his deep understanding of birdsong’s structure and his meticulous observations of birds in their natural habitats. Messiaen’s use of birdsong thus went beyond mere imitation, becoming an integral part of his musical language and a powerful expression of his artistic and spiritual vision.
4. How do Messiaen’s religious beliefs inform his music?
Messiaen’s deep Catholic faith and his fascination with the mystical are inseparable from his music. His works often explore theological themes and ideas, utilizing musical symbolism to evoke spiritual concepts and religious experiences. While his music can be appreciated on a purely aesthetic level, understanding the theological underpinnings of his works provides a deeper appreciation for his artistic vision and for the unique power of his music to transcend the mundane and evoke the transcendent.
5. What are the challenges and rewards of engaging with Messiaen’s music?
Messiaen’s music often poses challenges for both performers and listeners. His complex rhythmic language, his use of unconventional harmonies, his extreme tempos, and his unconventional instrumentation can all be daunting. However, the rewards for engaging with his music are immense. When approached with an open mind and a willingness to embrace the unfamiliar, Messiaen’s music offers a rich and rewarding listening experience, revealing a world of sonic beauty, spiritual depth, and boundless imagination.
Key Takeaways
1. Messiaen’s music embraces a wide range of modal influences.
Messiaen’s innovative use of modality, drawing from diverse sources like Gregorian chant and Indian classical music, expanded the harmonic and melodic possibilities of his music. His ‘modes of limited transposition’ gave his music a distinctive exotic flavor and challenged traditional notions of Western tonality.
Practical Application:
In AI music composition, the use of alternative modes and scales, beyond traditional Western tonality, can open up new sonic possibilities. By exploring different modal systems, such as those found in non-Western musical traditions, AI algorithms can generate melodies and harmonies that have a fresh and unfamiliar quality. This can be particularly useful for creating music for specific cultural contexts or for exploring new sonic territories.
2. Messiaen’s rhythmic language is groundbreaking.
Messiaen’s rhythmic innovations are a defining characteristic of his style. His use of additive rhythms, non-retrogradable rhythms, and complex rhythmic structures challenged traditional notions of musical time and created a sense of timelessness and stasis in his music.
Practical Application:
In AI-powered music production software, incorporating tools that allow users to easily manipulate and experiment with non-standard rhythms, such as additive rhythms and non-retrogradable rhythms, can open up new creative possibilities. These tools could enable musicians to break free from traditional rhythmic constraints and explore new rhythmic territories, adding complexity and depth to their compositions.
3. Messiaen’s music integrates birdsong in innovative ways.
Messiaen’s lifelong fascination with birdsong led him to incorporate it extensively into his music. His transcriptions of birdsong, while not always literally accurate, aimed to capture the essence of each bird’s song, transforming it into a unique and compelling musical language.
Practical Application:
AI algorithms can be trained on vast datasets of birdsong recordings, analyzing their pitch, rhythm, and timbre. This data can then be used to generate new melodies and harmonies that evoke the unique qualities of birdsong. This approach can be applied in various contexts, such as creating nature-inspired soundscapes or generating melodies for specific birds.
Suggested Deep Dive
Chapter: Messiaen’s Musical Language: An Introduction
This chapter provides a foundational understanding of the key elements of Messiaen’s musical language, exploring his innovative use of modes, his rhythmic techniques, and his approach to harmony. It is crucial for comprehending his stylistic development and appreciating the uniqueness of his musical voice.
Memorable Quotes
Introduction. 10
Perhaps Messiaen’s most remarkable trait was the firmness with which he kept faith with a basic set of principles, so that the language (and to a very great degree the technique) of Messiaen’s earliest music is still apparent in the music composed sixty or so years later.
Introduction. 13
Stained glass is one of the most wonderful creations of man. You are overwhelmed. And I think this is the beginning of Paradise, because in Paradise we are overwhelmed.
Messiaen’s Musical Language: an Introduction. 28
All that is necessary for music to be modal is that it should adhere to the notes of a mode, and, this being so, it is hardly surprising that the most telling characteristic of both diatonic and non-diatonic modal music is a sense of improvisation – whether contemplative or frenetic – within a static atmosphere.
Organ Music I. 65
Few composers in history have more fully documented the ideas that lie behind their music – or, more accurately, the extra-musical ideas they regard as relevant to the audience of their works – than did Olivier Messiaen.
The Songs and Song Cycles. 127
Deftly mingling eroticism with spiritual radiance, he creates an entrancing vocal language, which uses the voice to its fullest and most satisfying capacity. There is nothing better than being allowed to sing properly!
Comparative Analysis
“The Messiaen Companion”, edited by Peter Hill, provides a comprehensive and insightful exploration of Olivier Messiaen’s life and music, delving deeper than many other biographical works on the composer. Unlike more superficial accounts that might focus solely on Messiaen’s religious convictions or his fascination with birdsong, Hill’s book goes further, analyzing the interplay between these elements and his groundbreaking musical techniques. It provides a detailed analysis of Messiaen’s innovative use of rhythm, harmony, and form, grounding these explorations in the broader context of twentieth-century musical developments. The book also offers unique perspectives from Messiaen’s students and collaborators, providing a multifaceted portrait of the composer as a teacher and as a person. In its depth of analysis and richness of detail, “The Messiaen Companion” distinguishes itself from more general overviews of Messiaen’s work, offering a valuable resource for both musicians and music enthusiasts seeking a deeper understanding of this complex and fascinating composer. It aligns with other scholarly works in highlighting the significance of Messiaen’s spiritual and philosophical ideas, but it also probes the musical nuts and bolts, allowing readers to grapple with the technical aspects of his compositions.
Reflection
As editor of The Messiaen Companion, I sought to provide a more nuanced and complex understanding of Olivier Messiaen, moving beyond the monolithic portrayal often presented in earlier accounts. The book dives deep into the various influences that shaped Messiaen’s music, ranging from his deep Catholic faith to his fascination with birdsong and his synaesthesia. While his spiritual convictions are undeniably central to his music, I believe it’s crucial to engage with Messiaen’s musical innovations on their own terms, exploring the technical aspects of his rhythmic language, his use of modality, and his unique approach to timbre and color. The book also offers valuable insights into Messiaen as a teacher, highlighting his generosity, his passion for music, and his ability to inspire his students to find their own unique voices. While some may question the objectivity of my perspective as both a student and performer of Messiaen’s music, I believe this intimate connection with the composer allows for a deeper understanding of his artistic vision and the driving forces behind his music. Ultimately, “The Messiaen Companion” is intended not as a definitive statement, but as an invitation to engage with the complex and multifaceted world of this extraordinary composer.
Flashcards
What is Synaesthesia?
A neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in another sensory pathway. Messiaen experienced colors when he heard music.
What are Modes of Limited Transposition?
Scales with a limited number of transpositions, creating characteristic melodic and harmonic patterns. Messiaen favored these over traditional diatonic scales.
What are Additive Rhythms?
Rhythms built by adding together small units, often based on prime numbers, creating an irregular and non-metrical feel.
What are Non-retrogradable Rhythms?
Rhythmic sequences that are the same backwards and forwards, creating a sense of stasis and timelessness.
What is Birdsong Transcription?
The practice of imitating birdsong in music, often with great accuracy and detail. Messiaen was a pioneer in this area.
What are Deci-talas?
A Hindu rhythmic system that Messiaen incorporated into his music, characterized by complex and often irregular patterns.
What is Plainchant Adaptation?
The act of adapting plainchant melodies and rhythms into a modern musical context. Messiaen frequently used this technique in his organ and vocal works.
What is Timbral Composition?
A compositional approach that focuses on timbre and sonority, often utilizing unconventional instrumental combinations and extended techniques.