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Matthew Schellhorn's special film for the
RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2021

For the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2021 (29 to 31 January), Matthew Schellhorn produced a special film in collaboration with young artists from across the country. Olivier Messiaen (1908–92) wrote numerous pieces inspired by birdsong. “Le Rouge-gorge” (Robin) comes from a collection written in 1985 called “Petites esquisses d’oiseaux” (Small Bird Sketches) and apart from the Robin features the Blackbird, the Song Thrush and the Skylark. The work was dedicated to the composer’s wife, Yvonne Loriod, with whom Matthew studied in Paris. Special thanks go to the talented pupils of Myatt Garden Primary School for taking part!

Rodrigo De la Prida introduces Messiaen's Modes for Electric Guitar

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Find out more here.

There were a few instruments that Messiaen never included in his compositions (saxophone, harp, timpani after the 1930's and guitar are among these) - Rodrigo De la Prida's work opens up the sound world of Messiaen's modes for guitarists with excellent and engaging examples that range from chord and scale work to improvisation. Rodrigo says:

'With already 4 years of intense work, the 7 volumes of the book series about the scales of Olivier Messiaen and their applications on any musical genre, are now available. Just digital for now.
More than 500 pages with 351 licks, guitar studies, arpeggios, atonal chords, triads and tetrads, and examples. This material represents a deep dive into the rich musical universe of the french composer'.

 'In this book series for guitar, Rodrigo tackles the exhaustive task of diving into the musical language of  Olivier Messiaen, but from an unprejudiced view, where the different types of music coexist.

 Messiaen Modes for Electric Guitar aims to be a tool to expand the harmonic and melodic universe of the popular musician, but also a means to the study and deepening of modern language in the contemporary-classical music student as well'.

M2BT-DEMORodrigo De la Prida
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Here is a short demo of a backing track that comes with the book. © Rodrigo De la Prida

Video trailer for the 1999 Festival Messiaen au Pays de la Meije featuring Gaëtan Puaud, Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Messiaen. © INA.Fr

©INA

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During the 1973 English Bach Festival in London, Olivier Messiaen and Yvonne Loriod gave a recital at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Messiaen began by apologising for the way they were dressed. The taxi had gone off with all their luggage. He read the poetic preface to the piano work written three years earlier. Mme Messiaen then performed "La Fauvette des Jardins"
@ 7' 40"

Didier

Didier Wampas and Bikini Machine

Olivier Messiaen

Il voyait des couleurs
Que l'on ne voit pas
Et croyait en un Dieu
Auquel on ne croit plus

Olivier Messiaen


Il faisait des mélodies
Que l'on n'entend pas
Et chanter des oiseaux
Que l'on ne connaît plus

Olivier Messiaen

Oui mais grâce à lui
J'ai découvert des mondes
Des regards plein d'amours

Des canyons aux étoiles

Et un Quatuor
Pour la fin des temps
Composé au stalag

Éclairs sur l'au-delà
Saint François d'Assise
Un soir à l'opéra

Olivier Messiaen

Oui mais grâce à lui
J'ai découvert des mondes
Des regards plein d'amours

Des canyons aux étoiles

Oui mais grâce à lui
J'ai découvert des mondes
Des
catalogues d'oiseaux
Des canyons aux étoiles

Oui mais grâce à lui
J'ai découvert des mondes
Et le
Regard du père
Des canyons aux étoiles

©Didier Wampas

He saw colors

That we don't see

And believed in a God

In which we no longer believe

 

Olivier Messiaen

 

He made melodies

That we don't hear

And sing of the birds

That we no longer know

 

Olivier Messiaen

 

Yes but thanks to him

I discovered worlds

Gazes full of love

Des canyons aux étoiles

 

And a Quatuor
Pour la fin des temps

Composed in a Stalag

Éclairs sur l'au-delà

Saint François d’Assisi

An evening at the opera

 

Olivier Messiaen

 

Yes but thanks to him

I discovered worlds

Gazes full of love

Des canyons aux étoiles

 

Yes but thanks to him

I discovered worlds

Catalogue d’oiseaux

Des canyons aux étoiles

 

Yes but thanks to him

I discovered worlds

And the Regard du père

Des canyons aux étoiles

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Historic Recordings of Messiaen by Messiaen. Transfer from original 78rpm records recorded in 1949 of Visions de l'Amen with Yvonne Loriod and recording of OM playing his Quatre Etudes 1951. FMR Records  FMRCD 120-L0403. Order via the Contact form.

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VINGT REGARDS SUR L'ENFANT JESUS Louise Bessette
Atma ACD22219/20


LE COURLIS CENDRE / LE MERLE NOIR / Mozart / Levinas / Gougeon / Mâche
Louise Bessette RCI 650

Claude-Samuel Levine would like to share his playing of movements from the Quatuor pour la Fin du Temps:
using VSTi Synful Orchestra and VSTi Pianoteq, humanly played in Cubase.

 

Liturgie de Cristal

 

Vocalise pour l'ange qui annonce la fin du temps 

 

Abyme des Oiseaux

 

Intermède
CD and downloads of the complete Quatuor pour la Fin du Temps now available direct from Claude-Samuel here.

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After a period of two years work, Claude-Samuel Lévine has produced a version of TurangalilaSymphonie
created entirely by computer software instruments and MIDI (except for 'live' Ondes Martenot played on
the Ondea). This is a detailed interpretation that in no way proposes to 'replace' real musicians, but can provide
an insight into Messiaen's microscopic detail in the work. Further commentaries can be found on 
Claude-Samuel's web site as well as audio and visual clips. The CD and DVD are also available to purchase here

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Click here to see and hear Thomas Bloch and Jean-François Zygel perform 4th Feuillet Inedits. 

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Click here to see and hear Willem Tanke perform Messiaen's organ works.

©Willem Tanke

Nans Bart
Variations sur un thème de Messiaen ((Thème du Final - 10ème Mvt. de la Turangalila-Symphonie))

for Percussion Ensemble here

©Thomas Bloch

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