In this article, the object of our attention will be the famous French composer, teacher and musical theorist Olivier Messiaen. Let us examine in detail his biography and work.
Biography
Olivier Messiaen was born on December 10, 1908 in the south-east of France in the town of Avignon. The full name of the musician is Olivier Eugene Charles Prosper Messiaen. The boy's mother Cecile Sauvage is a poetess; father - Pierre Messiaen - English teacher.
At the age of 11, the guy entered the Paris Conservatory, where he studied in the composition class of Paul Dukas, and also attended classes in such a musical instrument as the organ. Olivier completed his studies with excellent marks in such speci alties as piano, music history, improvisation, composition, organ.
After graduation, the future composer Olivier Messiaen gets a job as an organist at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Paris. In the same period of time, the young man begins to get involved in ancient church hymns and the science that studies birds - ornithology. In the future, he will create a detailed classification of bird songs, and will often use the imitation of bird voices in his work.
From 1936, Olivier began teaching at the Normal School of Music, which is located in Paris, where he will remain until 1939 and, along with composers such as Daniel Lizer, Yves Baudrier and André Jolivet, organizes the Young France group.
World War II and the post-war years of the composer's life
From the very beginning of the Second World War, Olivier Messiaen was drafted into the army, and a year later he was taken prisoner. While in the camp, he writes a number of compositions, one of them - "Quartet for the End of the World", first performed in January 1941 by a group of captive musicians.
In March 1941, the composer was released, and he got a job at the Paris Conservatory as a professor of harmony.
After the end of the war, namely in 1947, Olivier Messiaen, whose work was already known to many at that time, became a professor in the class of analysis, rhythm and aesthetics, which was created especially for him.
In subsequent years, the composer traveled a lot and gave master classes, and also acted as an organist. In 1966 he was appointed professor of composition at the same Paris Conservatory.
Olivier Messiaen's students and awards
Working at the conservatory, Messiaen taught many now famous pianists and composers. The most famous among them are Pierre Boulez, Peter Donohoe, Mikis Theodorakis, Rodolfo Arisaga, Henrik Goretsky, Gerard Grisey and others. Among his followers there are also musicians from Russia.
Olivier has won various international art awards, includingincludes the Ernst Siemens Prize, the Erasmus Prize, received an award from the Royal Philharmonic Society and many others. Messiaen is a member of the Institute of France, the Belgian Royal Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. He has honorary degrees from several institutions.
Creativity
Olivier Messiaen outlined his own vision of the principles of musical activity in detail in two books. These are "Treatise on Rhythm", published in 1948, and "Technique of My Musical Language", published a little earlier, in 1944. In "Technique", the composer presented a very important theory for modern music about modal modes of limited transposition, and also spoke about a sophisticated system of rhythms.
Music of a talented Frenchman organically connects times, touching even the Middle Ages, and unites Eastern and Western culture. It cannot be said that Messiaen's work belongs to a certain musical style, direction or school. It is independent and unique.
The composer's works reflected his religious ideas (piano cycle "Twenty Looks at the Baby Jesus", "Vision of Amen"), the study of the traditions of various cultures (Indian, Latin American and others), as well as the study of birds and their voices ("Catalogue of Birds" for piano). Also in 1953, Olivier Messiaen's Awakening of the Birds, a collection of works written for piano and orchestra, was released.
To the most popularMessiaen's works include The Three Liturgies of the Divine Presence, the opera Saint Francis of Assisi, and the oratorio The Transfiguration of Our Lord.
After studying Eastern culture, Messiaen wrote one of his best creations, the "Turangalinu" symphony.
An example of musical serialism is Olivier's play "The Mode of Durations and Intensities". In it, music is a sequence of certain notes, their durations and volumes. No element is repeated until all the others have failed. This idea was picked up by representatives of the Darmstadt School.
Private life
Olivier Messiaen was married, but his wife died in 1961. Some time later, he married the French pianist and teacher Yvonne Loriot, who, along with other famous musicians, was among Olivier's students. The composer's second wife passed away in May 2010.
By religion, the French composer was a Catholic. Died April 27, 1992 in France.
Conclusion
Olivier Messiaen, whose biography has been associated with music since childhood, has created many pieces for orchestras, cello, piano and other musical instruments. He formed his own musical universe, which is fundamentally different from others.
The composer was named the son of France, which really speaks of the great significance of this great man.
Olivier Messiaen is the brightest, most versatile and most original musiciantwentieth century. Music historians often compare the Frenchman to the great German composer Johann Bach.
