Today would have been the composer Olivier Messiaen’s 100th birthday. This evokes a memory — I once saw Yvonne Loriod perform Messiaen’s “Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus” in concert at Swarthmore College in 1978 or around that time. (I do not recall whether it was the whole thing — the work is two hours long – but I believe it was the only work on the program.) I was attending with a small group of people, once of whom was an accomplished pianist. She sat next to me during the concert, attention riveted on the stage, occasionally whispering to me “That’s the God theme!” “That’s the God theme again!” It didn’t disturb me; I was caught up in the rapt, sometimes shimmering, sometimes percussive music but was glad to have a guide into the music’s structure. At the end of the concert, Loriod took several bows, then, from the wings, brought out her husband Olivier Messiaen as the audience redoubled its applause, to which he gave a slight bow.
Messiaen’s intense interest in birdsong found its way into many of his works. In this pair of brief clips (here and here), actual bird songs are presented, together with Messiaen describing their characteristics and the piano passages they inspired. Another film discusses “Birdsong in Messiaen” and finally, a performance of “Oiseaux Exotiques.” Enjoy!
