‘Orpheus the Explorer’: ‘Harmony of Parts’ and ‘Charm of Colour’ in the Performance of Olivier Messiaen’s Organ Music

This project aims to assemble interpretative and analytical materials, cross- connections, comparisons, and theological insights in order to form a hermeneutic, holistic approach to performances of Messiaen’s organ music. Thus, research and interpretation lead to the recording on a suitable instrument of performances, which in turn illustrate theological and interpretative issues. Rather than investigating complete cycles, the development of a carefully constructed programme of individual pieces, interlinked and selected from Messiaen’s entire œuvre, will help us to draw out a sophisticated and consistent theological message, as well as comparing the use of different compositional techniques and recurring thematic resonances (both musical and Christian) throughout the composer’s development.

This interpretative work builds upon the approach and conclusions expressed in my dissertation: ‘In Search of Musique Chatoyante: Technique, Theology, and the Play of Harmonic Resonance in Olivier Messiaen’s Vitrail Sonore’. By forming the connections on both musical and theological levels between pieces from different periods and cycles, we can reveal fresh perspectives on the performance of Messiaen’s organ music. One aspect will be an understanding of Messiaen’s non-modal harmony: as ‘percée vers l’au-delà’, it becomes a foundation for dazzlement, and a conduit to the divine. How do these ‘accords spéciaux’ intersect with the theological subtext, and when identical chords are heard in different pieces, how does this intertextual play create new theological insight? Devising this programme in a framework exploring Messiaen’s compositional growth yields more fruitful insights than exploring just a single work, thus establishing connections across boundaries of work, genre and period, and linking Messiaen’s organ music to his wider output and to contemporary Catholic thought.