Messiaen Perspectives 1: Sources and Influences

389 Pages·2013·4.365 MB·English

by  Christopher Dingle, Robert Fallon

Messiaen PersPectives 1:
sources and influences
For Yvonne Loriod
Messiaen Perspectives 1:
Sources and Influences
edited by
christoPher dingle
Birmingham Conservatoire, UK
robert fallon
Carnegie Mellon University, USA
© christopher dingle, robert fallon and the contributors 2013
all rights reserved. no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.
christopher dingle and robert fallon have asserted their right under the copyright, designs
and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the editors of this work.
Published by
ashgate Publishing limited ashgate Publishing company
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:
Messiaen perspectives / edited by christopher dingle and robert fallon.
volumes cm
includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4094-2695-0 (hardcover : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-4724-1515-8 (ebook)
—ISBN 978-1-4724-1516-5 (epub) 1. Messiaen, Olivier, 1908–1992—Criticism and
interpretation. i. dingle, christopher Philip, editor. ii. fallon, robert, editor.
Ml410.M595M494 2013
780.92—dc23
2013007758
ISBN 9781409426950 (hbk)
ISBN 9781472415158 (ebk – PDF)
ISBN 9781472415165 (ebk – ePUB)
bach musicological font developed by © Yo tomita
IV
Contents
List of Illustrations vii
List of Figures and Tables ix
List of Music Examples xi
Acknowledgements xv
Editors’ Note xvii
Introduction 1
Christopher Dingle and Robert Fallon
Part I SourceS
Perspectives on Sources 9
Christopher Dingle and Robert Fallon
1 Olivier Messiaen and the Prix de Rome as Rite of Passage 13
Laura Hamer and Christopher Brent Murray
2 Olivier Messiaen and Portique pour une fille de France 45
Lucie Kayas and Christopher Brent Murray
3 Formal Genesis in the Sketches for Visions de l’Amen 69
Yves Balmer
4 From Music for the Radio to a Piano Cycle: Sources for the
Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus 85
Lucie Kayas
5 My Collaboration with Olivier Messiaen and Yvonne Loriod
on Harawi 101
Sigune von Osten
6 Olivier Messiaen’s Timbres-durées 123
Christopher Brent Murray
7 From Réveil des oiseaux to Catalogue d’oiseaux: Messiaen’s
Cahiers de notations des chants d’oiseaux, 1952–59 143
Peter Hill
vi Messiaen Perspectives 1: Sources and Influences
8 In the Beginning Was The Word? An Exploration of the Origins of
Méditations sur le mystère de la Sainte Trinité 175
Anne Mary Keeley
Intermède
9 Yvonne Loriod as Source and Influence 197
Christopher Dingle
Part II InfluenceS
Perspectives on Influences 213
Christopher Dingle and Robert Fallon
10 Messiaen and Mozart: A Love without Influence? 217
Christopher Dingle
11 Messiaen and the Romantic Gesture: Contemplations on his Piano
Music and Pianism 235
Caroline Rae
12 Messiaen and the Problem of Communication 257
Julian Anderson
13 Messiaen and Art Sacré 269
Stephen Broad
14 Messiaen, the Cinq Rechants and ‘Spiritual Violence’ 279
Philip Weller
15 Messiaen in Retrospect 313
Hugh Macdonald
Appendix: Yvonne Loriod Discography 323
Christopher Dingle
Select Bibliography 339
Discography 351
Notes on Contributors 353
Index 361
Contents of Messiaen Perspectives 2: Techniques, Influence and Reception 369
List of Illustrations
1.1 Paul Dukas’s letter of recommendation 20
1.2 Ministerial document listing the 1930 candidates for the Prix
de Rome competition 20
2.1 Dignitaries’ stand, Gerland Stadium 50
2.2 The programme for the Marseilles version of Portique 51
2.3 General view of the Gerland Stadium with stage, orchestra, tents
for extras and amplification system 53
2.4 An image of the dress rehearsal for Portique in Lyon 54
2.5 The costume design for Joan of Arc by Jean Le Moal 54
2.6 The set design for the Orléans tableau by Jean Le Moal 55
2.7 Laurence Aubray as Joan of Arc during a rehearsal 56
2.8 Joan of Arc and her cavalry heralds 56
2.9 The living cathedral 57
2.10 An image from the coronation scene during which Messiaen’s
Te Deum would have been heard 58
2.11 Pierre Schaeffer, Léo Preger and Jean Witkowski during a rehearsal
for Portique pour une fille de France 59
2.12 Jean Witkowski directing the orchestra in a rehearsal for Portique 59
5.1 Sigune von Osten rehearsing Harawi with Olivier Messiaen
and Yvonne Loriod, Bratislava, 7 December 1987 102
5.2 Letter from Yvonne Loriod to the author, 10 October 1988 103
5.3 Letter from Yvonne Loriod to the author, 28 May 1997 103
5.4 Letter from Yvonne Loriod to the author, 29 December 1987 104
5.5 Sigune von Osten rehearsing Harawi with Olivier Messiaen
and Yvonne Loriod, Bratislava, 7 December 1987 104
5.6 Sigune von Osten, Olivier Messiaen and Yvonne Loriod
after performing Harawi, Bratislava, 7 December 1987 120
5.7 Messiaen’s dedication to the author in her score of Harawi,
Madrid 1988 120
5.8 Letter from Yvonne Loriod to the author, 6 December 1993 121
8.1 Illumination on parchment, unknown Netherlandish artist, from the
well-known early fifteenth-century illuminated manuscript Très
Belles Heures de Notre Dame de Jean de Berry 190
This page has been left blank intentionally
List of Figures and Tables
Figures
8.1 Information supplied in the publicity poster for the event at
the Trinité 177
8.2 A summary of the theological elements in the Méditations 182
8.3 Chiastic structure of the Méditations 183
8.4 Textural and thematic relationships in the Méditations 184
8.5 Summary of overall musical structure of the Méditations 185
8.6 Music and theology in the fifth meditation 192
Tables
1.1 Placement of the candidates in the 1930 Prix de Rome
competition 21
1.2 Candidates for the 1931 Prix de Rome competition 23
1.3 Voting record for the 1931 Prix de Rome competition 26
1.4 Formal structure of Olivier Messiaen’s La Sainte Bohème 34
1.5 Formal structure of Olivier Messiaen’s La Jeunesse des vieux 40
3.1 Three versions of Visions de l’Amen donated by Messiaen to the
Bibliothèque Nationale de France in 1950 70
3.2 Forms of Visions in BnF Music Department Ms. 9138 73
6.1 Symmetrical permutations of the four personnages in sequences
1–24 133
6.2 Permutations and symmetries in Personnage A 135
6.3 Transformations of Personnage B 137