Biography
Messiaen studied at the Paris Conservatoire (1919-30) with Dukas, Dupré and others, and taught there from 1941-78 while also serving as organist of La Trinité in Paris (1931-92). His pupils include many distinguished musicians such as Boulez, Stockhausen and Xenakis.
Messiaen quickly developed an original and unique style which included innovations in harmony and melody (including the use of his ingenious modes with limited transposition capabilities); rhythm (including utilizing rhythms from ancient Greek and Hindu sources, and developments such as palindromic rhythms and rhythms with added values); color (Messiaen had mild synaesthesia that caused him to see colors when he heard music); and orchestration (including the use of the ondes martenot and many unusual percussion instrument). Messiaen experimented with electronic music (Fête des belles eaux, 1937) and serialism (Quatre études de rythme, 1949), but made no sustained use of either.
His Roman Catholic faith was deep and lasting, and much of his music has an explicitly religious program (L’Ascension, 1933). He believed that all his music was written to glorify God and developed a sophisticated sign system with which to evangelize.
Messiaen was an ardent ornithologist. He incorporated birdsong transcriptions using his own ‘style oiseau’ into much of his music (Catalogue d'oiseaux, 1958). He wrote music in every major genre, making special contributions to the organ repertoire (Méditations sur le Mystère de la Sainte Trinité, 1969), and to the piano repertoire, due largely to the skills of his second wife Yvonne Loriod (Vingt regards sur l’Enfant Jésus, 1944). His output includes several large-scale orchestral works (Turangalîla-symphonie, 1948), and an opera, for which he also wrote the libretto (Saint François d'Assise, 1983).
Andrew Shenton, 2006 / www.oliviermessiaen.net
Timeline
| 1908 | December 10: Olivier Messiaen born in Avignon. His father, Pierre Messiaen, English teacher, will translate Shakespeare; his mother, Cécile Sauvage, is a poet and the author of "L’âme en bourgeon". |
| 1912 | Messiaen is appointed to Ambert, where the future composer learns how to read. |
| 1913 | Alain Messiaen born (Olivier's brother) |
| 1914 | Beginning of the First World War: Pierre Messiaen is mobilized; the family settles down in Grenoble where Cécile Sauvage’s brother lives. Olivier Messiaen will come to consider the Dauphiné as his motherland. |
| 1917 | First piano lessons. Olivier Messiaen composes his first known work on the subject of Alfred Tennyson's poem, La Dame de Shalott. |
| 1918 | Pierre Messiaen is appointed in Nantes, where his family will settle down for a few months. The young Messiaen meets the one whom he will consider as his first maestro: Jehan de Gibon, who gives him the score of Pelléas et Mélisande. |
| 1919 | Pierre Messiaen is appointed to the Charlemagne secondary school. The family settles in Paris, 67 Rambuteau Street. Olivier Messiaen studies at the Paris National Conservatory; his teachers are Jean and Noël Gallon, Georges Caussade, Caesar Abel Estyle, Marcel Dupré, Maurice Emmanuel and Paul Dukas. |
| 1923 | Olivier Messiaen begins to notate singings of birds. |
| 1924 | Second prize of harmony (Maurice Duruflé won the first). |
| 1926 | First prize of counterpoint and fugue. |
| 1927 | Cécile Sauvage is taken by tuberculosis and dies. First prize in piano accompaniment. |
| 1928 | April 20, Paris Opera: Maurice Martenot presents the Ondes Martenot |
| 1929 | First prize in organ and improvisation. First prize in music history Composition of huit préludes for piano, first work which Messiaen will register on his "official catalog" First try at the Rome Competition |
| 1930 | Second prize in composition. Second try at the Rome competition. |
| 1931 | Olivier Messiaen is appointed as the titular Organist in the church of the Trinity February 19: First public performance of an Olivier Messiaen's work; Walther Straram conducts Les Offrandes Oubliées at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. |
| 1932 | Composition of Thème et Variations for violin and piano in the name of "Mi": Claire Delbos, whom he marries the same year. |
| 1934 | February 9: world premiere of L'Ascension at Concerts Siohan. |
| 1935 | Composition of La Nativité du Seigneur, the first one of the big organ cycles. |
| 1936 | Olivier Messiaen is a sight-reading teacher for piano ensembles at the Ecole Normale de Musique and an organ improvisation teacher at the Schola Cantorum "La Spirale" performs at the Schola Cantorum with Georges Migot, Paul Le Flem, Daniel-Lesur and André Jolivet. Birth of the Jeune France Group with Olivier Messiaen, Yves Baudrier, Daniel Lesur and André Jolivet June 3: first performance of the Jeune France Group, conducted by Roger Désormière, at the Gaveau Hall. Two Messiaen's works are schedualed: Hymne and Les Offrandes oubliées. Since 1936, Messiaen has his summerhouse in Petichet, in the Dauphiné area. |
| 1937 | April 28: world premiere of the Poèmes pour Mi with the singer Marcelle Bunlet at the schola Cantorum; Messiaen is the pianist. The orchestral version will be created 9 years later in Brussels, conducted by Franz André. Olivier Messiaen composes La Fête des belles eaux, for ondes Martenot sextet, for the Universal Exposition. Pascal's birth (Olivier Messiaen's son). |
| 1969 | June 7: world premiere of the Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ in Lisboan with the Paris Orchestra conducted by Serge Baudo. September: residence at the festival of Shiraz-Persépolis |
| 1970 | October-November: Messiaen tours in the United States and in Canada. |
| 1971 | Messiaen festival in the Mai florentin. June 25: the Queen Juliana welcomes Messiaen in Amsterdam to give him the Erasme Prize. 9 of October: Messiaen receives the Sibelius Prize in Helsinki. |
| 1972 | March-April-May: Messiaen tours in the United States. March 20: world premiere of the Méditations sur le Mystère de la Sainte Trinité in Washington June 9-11: second Messiaen Festival in Düsseldorf. November 7: world premiere of La Fauvette des jardins in Paris performed by Yvonne Loriod. |
| 1973 | March: Messiaen's week in Cardiff. April: Messiaen's week in London (English Bach Festival). May: Messiaen is elected as a member of the San Fernando Academy in Madrid and the Science and Arts Academy in Boston. October: Messiaen tours in the United-States. |
| 1974 | March: Messiaen's week in Karlsruhe. November 20: world premiere of the Canyons aux étoiles in New York with Yvonne Loriod (piano) and the Orchestra Musica Aeterna conducted by Frederic Waldman. |
| 1975 | Rolf Liebermann orders the Saint François d'Assise Opera to Olivier Messiaen. |
| 1977 | Olivier Messiaen receives the Grand Prix National de la Musique. December 4: the "Notre-Dame conference" is delivered at the cathedral Notre-Dame in Paris. |
| 1978 | End of June: Olivier Messiaen, reached by the age limit, leaves his teaching post at the Paris National Conservatory. November-December: The event "Hommage à Olivier Messiaen" celebrates his seventieth birthday. His entire work is performed in Paris and numerous concerts are dedicated all over the France. |
| 1979 | January 25-31: third Messiaen festival in Düsseldorf. |
| 1983 | November 28: world premiere of Saint François d'Assise at the Paris National Opera. José van Dam has the leading part. Seiji Ozawa conducts the orchestra (Sandro Sequi, stage setting) |
| 1984 | Prize of the Academy of Berlin. |
| 1985 | November 10: Messiaen receives the Kazuo Inamori Prize in Tokyo (Japan). |
| 1986 | Olivier Messiaen is distinguished with the Grande Croix de la Légion d'honneur. March-April: Olivier Messiaen attends a series of concerts dedicated to Saint François d'Assise (tableaux 3, 7 et 8) in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Boston and New York, conducted by Seiji Ozawa. July 1: world premiere of the Livre du Saint-Sacrement in Detroit (United States) by Almut Rössler (the American Guild of Organists' order). Messiaen is in the audience. |
| 1987 | July 9-20: Olivier Messiaen is a "guest composer" at the Centre Acanthes (Chartreuse de Villeneuve-lez-Avignon). |
| 1987-91 | the New York Philharmonic orders to Messiaen the Éclairs sur l'au-delà for the composer's hundred and fifty years birthday. A posthumous world premiere will take place on the 5th of November 1992 conducted by Zubin Mehta. |
| 1988 | Olivier Messiaen travels to Australia with Yvonne Loriod Olivier Messiaen's eightieth birthday is celebrated through many countries. The Ensemble Intercontemporain performs Un vitrail et des oiseaux (world premiere) at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées on this occasion. On December (his birthday), a half-scenically version of Saint François d'Assise is given in London, conducted by Kent Nagano (English premiere of the opera). |
| 1989 | Olivier Messiaen receives the Paul VI Prize in the Paris Notre-Dame Cathedral. |
| 1990 | Alain Messiaen dies |
| 1991 | Olivier Messiaen composes Un sourire for the Mozart two hundred years death anniversary celebration |
| 1992 | April 27: Olivier Messiaen dies in Paris. August 17: Saint François d'Assise is performed at the Salzburg festival (Peter Sellars, production; Los Angeles Philharmonic, Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor) |
| 1994 | Marius Constant succeeds to Olivier Messiaen at the Beaux-Arts Academy September 26: world premiere of the Concert à quatre for flute, oboe, piano and big orchestra in Paris (Bastille Opera house). Yvonne Loriod achieved the composition (Opera orchestra; Myung-Whun Chung, conductor; Catherine Cantin, Heinz Holliger, Yvonne Loriod and Mstislav Rostropovitch. Solists) |