LINKS
There are many links throughout this site. In particular the Reviews page contains many links to scholars and researchers who have undertaken studies in all aspects of Messiaen's life and work.
Dr
Christopher Dingle
An ex pupil of mine, Chris Dingle is now a leading authority on the music and
life of Olivier Messiaen.
He has lectured at Sheffield University and joined Birmingham Conservatoire in the summer of 2004 as a lecturer in Academic Studies.
His current research project will examine
Harmony and structure in the music of Olivier Messiaen, with particular reference to Traité
de rythme, de couleur et d’ornithologie. See Chris's web site for more details.
Olivier
Messiaen
Hosted by 'geometry the online learning centre' this site contains many articles
and comments on the music of Messiaen
United
Music Publishers Ltd website
UMP is the British representative for French publishers Durand and Leduc who
publish the
majority of Messiaens' music.
Durand
France
Durand-Salabert-Eschig French music publishers homepage.
Leduc
France
French music publishers homepage.
7th Festival 'Messiaen Au Pays de la Meije'
See News & Concerts
page.
Music & Vision magazine The world's first daily classical music magazine
at http://www.mvdaily.com/
has a vast list of composer and artist links.
Musicweb - classical music on the net is part of Classicallink and covers all
genres of music including a comprehensive database of composer websites
and much more. musicweb.uk.net
Classical Composers Database is a vast and ever growing resource of not only composer information but includes many related musical links hosted by Jos Smeets.
Robert T. Kelley. Theorist, Pianist, Accompanist and Composer has a well constructed web site which reflects all aspects of his musical studies including an in depth paper entitled: Tradition, the Avant Garde, Individuality, in the music of OLIVIER MESSIAEN highly recommended reading for the Messiaen scholar and those wishing to delve deeper into the musical resouces of Messiaen.
This Homepage of Iannis
Xenakis is a fantastic site covering all aspects of this important
composer's life and work. Appearing in Messiaen's early classes at the Paris
Conservatoire, Xenakis went on to make an indelible mark on 20th century music.
Highly recommended!
Musica et Memoria. This intriguing and thoroughly researched site celebrates the 'Association Elisabeth Havard de la Montagne' and contains information on many key figures in the French organ tradition including Messiaen.
Claude-Samuel LEVINE. French Ondes Martenot and Theremin virtuoso Claude-Samuel LEVINE has taken a great deal of care and thought in constructing a brilliant web site that is easy to navigate, immensly interesting and informative. His love for Messiaen is apparent throughout - highly recommended! See and hear Claude-Samuel Levine in the Multmedia page.
Takashi Harada's Homepage provides a fascinating insite into the Ondes Martenot. Himself an Ondes virtuoso, the page also contains facts, historic background, CDs and sound files.
Thomas Bloch, a specialist for rare instruments (Ondes Martenot, Glassharmonica, Cristal Baschet, various keyboards...) See and hear Thomas in the Multmedia page.
D'Arcy Trinkwon Distinguished virtuoso organist D'Arcy Trinkwon was a choirister under Allan Wicks a formative exponent of Messiaen's organ music in the 60s and 70s and it was D'Arcy who gave the first London performance of the recently discovered Prélude.
Eiji Nishimura. Pianist and scholar Eiji Nishimura is hosting the best and most comprehensive Messiaen web site in Japanese.
The Incorporated Association of Organists was formed in about 1916. It is the umbrella organisation for 89 affiliated organists’ associations and individual members throughout the United Kingdom and internationally.
Pianist Paul S. Kim has led a distinguished international career for over three decades as a concert artist and music scholar of rare musical vision and integrity. He is currently in the final stages of recording the complete piano music of Messiaen which is available on the Centaur label.
Candadian born pianist Louise
Bessette has recorded several Messiaen works on CD. See and hear exerpts
in the MultMedia page. Louise Bessette
Appointed Officier of the Ordre National du Québec The Premier of Quebec,
Mr. Jean Charest, announced recently the appointment of forty-three (43) personalities,
including pianist Louise Bessette, to the Ordre National du Québec in
order to highlight the exceptional character of their achievements and their
contribution to the development of Quebec culture. The Ordre National du Québec
is the highest distinction awarded by the government of Quebec.
With contemporary music as her main focus, Ms. Bessette has distinguished herself
by her inspired and energetic performances of the major works of our times,
whether in solo recitals, in chamber music or as a soloist with orchestras.
Through her fondness for Canadian composers, she spreads awareness and appreciation
for their works both here and abroad. Her talent and her contribution to contemporary
music is so respected that composers write music specifically for her. She contributes
to the education of young musicians through her teaching at the Conservatoire
de Musique de Montréal.
Xenia Pestova received 'Special Mention' at the 2003 Messiaen International Competition in Paris.
Pianist Ya-Ou Xie, born in southwestern China, has studied with Wan-Ing Ong in Stuttgart, with Hans Leygraf, Pascal Devoyon in Berlin and with Pierre-Laurent Aimard in Paris. Important stimuli in Ms. Xie’s artistic development have been her participation in master classes given by Claude Helffer, Yvonne Loriod-Messiaen, William Grant Naboré, Alicia de Larrocha, FU T’song, Charles Rosen, György Sebók and George Crumb, as well as her study of New Music with Gunilde Cramer. She received special mention at Concours Olivier Messiaen 2000 in Paris.
Hiroaki OOI was a prizewinner in 2000 at the Olivier Messiaen International Piano Competition, and is also a specialist in the music of Xenakis.
Barry Davies has created a very interesting and stimulating web page based on a new way to enjoy Messiaen's Catalogue d'Oiseaux, (in particular an analysis of Le Courlis Cendré) and talks about how he would like to incorporate Messiaen into his mathematical pursuits. Enter username: thomasb and p/word: iarwain
Prodromos Symeonidis, took away many awards at last years' Olivier Messiaen Piano Competion including: Second Grand Prize given by the Acacémie des Beaux-Arts de l'Institut de France. The Yvonne Loriod Prize, awarded to the contestant whose performance is the most faithful to the spirit of Olivier Messiaen's music. Prize donated by Editions Durand, for the best performance of Réveil des oiseaux. Prize donated by Editions Universal, for the best performance of Cantéyodjâya.
Steven Osborne The formidable interpreter of Messiaen's piano music.
Roger
Muraro Another leading interpreter of Messiaen's piano music who studied
intensively at the Messiaen summer home at Petichet.
The UK Synaesthesia Association Synaesthesia is a harmless condition in which people experience perceptual sensations that are not shared by most other members of the population. For example, people with synaesthesia may experience colours with letters, sounds, or words; they may experience shapes with tastes, or smells with sounds, to name a few varieties. It has a biological origin and is found in at least 1 in 2000 people. Messiaen has said to have suffered from a form of this condition.
Electro CD are an international distributor of electroacoustic/electronic music and carry labels such as empreintes DIGITALes, No Type, Ina-GRM (Timbres Durees), Mutek, etc.
LE CENTRE INTERNATIONAL
DE LA MÉLODIE FRANÇAISE Académie Francis Poulenc
For those who do research in musicology, in comparative history, in the scenic
arts, as well as for singers, pianists, and concert organizers, in France or
elsewhere, no documantation concerning French art song has been available in
one single place until now.
Ninth year : Hector BERLIOZ & the Groupe JEUNE FRANCE
Classic Cat - the free classical music directory description: Directory of free classical music (mostly mp3s) made available
by the performers, sorted by composer and work. Over 2800 entries and growing. With biographical information and links for the composers.
Stalag VIIIA A fascinating and detailed web site of prisoner of war camps including VIIIA where Messiaen penned much of the Quatour pour la Fin du Temps. The site contains many interesting photographs of theatrical productions that were performed in the camp.
Matthew Schellhorn Matthew Schellhorn’s performances of the piano music of Olivier Messiaen have been met with superlative critical approval. Yvonne Loriod-Messiaen—the acclaimed interpreter and dedicatee of Messiaen’s piano music—has described Matthew Schellhorn as ‘an excellent pianist and an excellent exponent’, and has praised his playing as ‘in every way wonderful’: ‘Accuracy, rhythm, sonority, technique, emotion. ... Everything is played as Messiaen wished it.’ In 2002 he was invited to perform at the Messiaen International Conference, where Christopher Dingle of BBC Music Magazine described one solo recital as ‘a cherished memory for those privileged enough to experience it’. He is presently contributing to a new book about Messiaen, to be published by Ashgate in 2006. (see concert reviews page)
The Boston University Messiaen Project is a three year, cross-disciplinary event dedicated to scholarly discussion and performance of Messiaen’s music and to related cultural, historical, theological issues in an effort to raise awareness of this notable figure.
Olivier Glandaz looked after and maintained the organ at La Trinité and worked closely with Messiaen. Although primarily an organ engineer, Olivier Glandaz's musical life is multi faceted which is revealed in his excellent web site. He says of his work with Messiaen: "The 14 best years of my professional life were with Olivier Messiaen".
The Dutch Organ Society has many links and information regarding organ repertoire, composeres and performers.
“The Accuracy of Messiaen’s Birdsongs” Compare Messiaen’s depictions of birdsongs with the recordings he used as models in his piece Oiseaux exotiques. This webpage accompanies Robert Fallon’s article “The Record of Realism in Messiaen’s Bird Style,” in “Olivier Messiaen: Music, Art, and Literature,” ed. Christopher Dingle and Nigel Simeone (Ashgate, 2007)
Messiaen 2008 is a non-profit organization, and was created in agreement with the French foundation Olivier Messiaen. Hugues Gall, former director of the National Opera in Paris, is its president, Pierre Boulez is its honorary president and Claude Samuel Managing Director. The organization already benefits from the support of the French Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ("Cultures France"), Radio France, the SACEM and the Paris Music Conservatory, where Messiaen taught for many years.
Classical Music Online. Free Samples Tracks for all Genres / Categories. The Naxos catalogue contains many Messiaen releases of outstanding quality that are competitively priced.
Henk de Vlieger principal percussionist of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra has performed many Messiaen orchestral works including La Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jésus Christ' and 'Saint François d'Assise.
La Trinité Paris where Messiaen performed for most of his adult life.
.
Harry Partch ~ Steve Reich ~ Early electronic Instruments ~ Pierre Boulez ~ Markus Stockhausen ~ Karlheinz Stockhausen
