Olivier Messiaen
French composer, organist, and ornithologist of the 20th century.
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via Wikipedia: Olivier Messiaen · see source
Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist, regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century. He was also an outstanding teacher of composition and musical analysis, influencing a generation of composers through his long tenure at the Paris Conservatoire.
Lore & Background
Messiaen entered the Conservatoire de Paris at age 11, studying with Paul Dukas, Maurice Emmanuel, Charles-Marie Widor, and Marcel Dupré. He was appointed organist at the Église de la Sainte-Trinité in Paris in 1931, a post he held for 61 years. During World War II, he was interned for nine months in Stalag VIII-A, where he composed Quatuor pour la fin du temps for the four instruments available: piano, violin, cello, and clarinet. The piece was first performed by Messiaen and fellow prisoners for an audience of inmates and guards.
After his release in 1941, he became professor of harmony at the Paris Conservatoire, and in 1966 professor of composition, retiring in 1978. His pupils included Iannis Xenakis, Pierre Boulez, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Yvonne Loriod, who became his second wife. Messiaen perceived colours when hearing certain chords (chromaesthesia), and his music incorporated birdsong transcriptions, Indonesian gamelan, and other global influences. He wrote for chamber ensembles, orchestra, voice, organ, and piano, and experimented with electronic instruments and total serialism.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Olivier Messiaen?
Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist widely regarded as one of the most significant composers of the 20th century. He is best known for his innovative harmonic language, his deep Catholic faith, and his meticulous transcriptions of birdsong.
What are Messiaen's modes of limited transposition?
These are a set of eight chromatic scales that Messiaen devised, in which transposing the mode by a specific interval yields the same collection of pitches. They let him build large-scale harmonic structures that stayed internally consistent while still sounding highly chromatic.
Who did Messiaen teach at the Paris Conservatoire?
Over a long tenure at the Paris Conservatoire, Messiaen mentored a generation of influential composers including Pierre Boulez, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Iannis Xenakis. His classes in analysis and composition became a major touchstone for post-war avant-garde music.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Olivier Messiaen (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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