The Role of Landscape in Catalogue d'Oiseaux by Olivier Messiaen

This thesis explores the French composer, Olivier Messiaen’s ‘Catalogue d’oiseaux’ (Catalogue of birds, 1956-1968) for the solo piano, a collection of birdsong works which is widely regarded as one of the great repertoires from the modern period. The complete work consists of thirteen pieces that progressively present a main group of birds, followed by representations of other birds. These birds were found in France, embedded in their natural habitats. The repertoire is usually selected to be performed as separate pieces or as a group, depending on the length of time available, given that the total running time of the works extends to two and half hours. In this research, there follows a close examination of landscape, which signifies natural settings, the passage of time, as well as little creatures. All of these elements are discussed, including to what extent the introduction of landscape affects both birdsong as well as my own performance.