Olivier Messiaen

  • Thread starter Thread starter Inisfallen
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
I

Inisfallen

Guest
Anyone here listen to the music of Olivier Messiaen?

He was (he died in 1992) a French composer of modern classical music. He was (to my mind, anyway) influenced hugely by two things, bird songs, and Catholicism.

Right now, I’m listening to his Vingt regards sur l’enfant-Jésus, which is a suite of 20 very short piano pieces, each of which is his meditation, in music, on an aspect of the childhood life of Christ. It’s very beautiful, and very inspiring.

I’m interested to hear if anyone else is a fan of this composer.
 
Very powerful music, this:

Apparition de l’eglise eternelle

Appearance of the Eternal Church
 
Here’s another great French composer:

Jehan Alain

Killed in 1940 by the Germans in their invasion of France. A great waste, 29 years old - but no more a waste than any life lost in war.

I encourage you to listen to Litanies, probably his best known composition for the organ. You can find it on you tube.

Mike
 
I used to find Messiaen’s music intriguing, but came to like it after listening live. I knew an old man in Shropshire, England who was a fantastic organist, (his career was an economist ), but he studied at the Sorbonne where he met Messiaen. He took instruction from him on the organ and I recall Messiaen studied under Vidor. Anyway to cut a long story short, and it is a long fascinating story, I had to do some work on a number of occaisions at the man’s house. Next door was a very old church, but its organ had been recently restored. He asked if I’d like to listen to it and so he proceeded to play along piece by Messiaen and it was absolutely incredible. The man’s fingers and feet were flying and bear in mind he was about 90 years old at the time. He lived to 101!
Have to go to Paris now and am pushed for time, but yes what music.
 
I can’t say I’m a fan (isn’t a lot of it atonal? if not it certainly sounds like it) but I have listened to it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top