Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist. One of the major composers of the 20th century, he was also an outstanding teacher of composition and musical analysis.Messiaen entered the Paris Conservatoire at age 11 and studied with Paul Dukas, Maurice Emmanuel, Charles-Marie Widor and Marcel Dupré, among others. He was appointed organist at the Église de la Sainte-Trinité, Paris, in 1931, a post he held for 61 years, until his death. He taught at the Schola Cantorum de Paris during the 1930s. After the fall of France in 1940, Messiaen was interned for nine months in the German prisoner of war camp Stalag VIII-A, where he composed his (''Quartet for the End of Time'') for the four instruments available in the prison—piano, violin, cello and clarinet. The piece was first performed by Messiaen and fellow prisoners for an audience of inmates and prison guards. Soon after his release in 1941, Messiaen was appointed professor of harmony at the Paris Conservatoire. In 1966, he was appointed professor of composition there, and he held both positions until retiring in 1978. His many distinguished pupils included Iannis Xenakis, George Benjamin, Alexander Goehr, Pierre Boulez, Jacques Hétu, Tristan Murail, Karlheinz Stockhausen, György Kurtág, and Yvonne Loriod, who became his second wife.
Messiaen perceived colours when he heard certain musical chords (a phenomenon known as chromesthesia); according to him, combinations of these colours were important in his compositional process. He travelled widely and wrote works inspired by diverse influences, including Japanese music, the landscape of Bryce Canyon in Utah, and the life of St. Francis of Assisi. His style absorbed many global musical influences, such as Indonesian gamelan (tuned percussion often features prominently in his orchestral works). He found birdsong fascinating, notating bird songs worldwide and incorporating birdsong transcriptions into his music.
Messiaen's music is rhythmically complex. Harmonically and melodically, he employed a system he called ''modes of limited transposition'', which he abstracted from the systems of material his early compositions and improvisations generated. He wrote music for chamber ensembles and orchestra, voice, solo organ, and piano, and experimented with the use of novel electronic instruments developed in Europe during his lifetime. For a short period he experimented with the parametrisation associated with "total serialism", in which field he is often cited as an innovator. His innovative use of colour, his conception of the relationship between time and music, and his use of birdsong are among the features that make Messiaen's music distinctive. Provided by Wikipedia
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141by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992Other Authors: “...Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992...”
Published 2017
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142by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992
Published 2017
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143by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992
Published 2018
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144by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992
Published 2010
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145by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992
Published 2003
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146by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992Other Authors: “...Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992...”
Published 1995
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147by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992Other Authors: “...Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992...”
Published 2008
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148by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992Other Authors: “...Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992...”
Published 2019
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149by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992
Published 2019
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150by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992
Published 2007
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151by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992
Published 2019
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152by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992
Published 2009
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153by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992Other Authors: “...Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992...”
Published 1973
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154by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992Other Authors: “...Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992...”
Published 2020
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155by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992
Published 2021
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156by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992
Published 2021
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157by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992
Published 1989
Musical Score Book -
158by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992
Published 1987
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159by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992Other Authors: “...Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992...”
Published 1988
Musical Score Book -
160by Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992, Messiaen, Olivier, 1908-1992
Published 2000
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