Olivier Messiaen and the Tristan Myth [Hardcover]

Audrey Ekdahl Davidson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0275973409 | ISBN-13: 978-0275973407

Following the second World War, Olivier Messiaen, previously known primarily for his religious music, composed three works inspired by the medieval love story of Tristan and Iseult: Harawi, Turangalila-symphonie, and Cinq rechants. Though the song cycle, symphony, and choral work each consider their source story in a different way, the three compositions are tied closely together by theme and musical technique. This new study is the only full-length consideration of this most significant work, applying literary techniques of stylistic analysis and source study as well as musical analysis of Messiaen's aesthetics and form. As Audrey Ekdahl Davidson shows, Messiaen's work was informed by more than just the mythic tale at its center. The twelve songs in Harawi are indebted to Peruvian melodies, and rhythmically they reveal the influence of the Hindu musical theory that the composer encountered at the Paris Conservatory. Turangalila-symphonie continues and expands the use of these complex rhythmic structures to create a form that expresses elements of the Tristan story as filtered through Wagner's famous operatic depiction. And in Cinq rechants, Messiaen produced a set of choral pieces that use surrealistic texts joined to music that is related structurally to the rechants of the sixteenth-century composer Claude le Jeune. Davidson's examination of these works reveals both their interrelatedness and their many layers of musical and textual meaning.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[s]everal aspects of Davidson's study make important contributions to the literature....[t]he textual and symbolic analysis of all three works offer insights not found in other studies of Messiaen's music.”–Journal of Musicological Research

“Although a few books have explored specific aspects of Messiaen's art, this is the first to focus on the so-called Tristan Trilogy....[T]he translations of Harawi and cinq rechants wil be welcomed by non-French speaking performers and scholars. In addition, the textual and symbolic analyses of all three works offer insights not found in other studies of Messiaen's music.”–Journal of Musicological Research

“With this vital trilogy of Tristan-centered music, we find the unification of Divine and Human, the ultimate fulfillment of Messiaen the human, and an invitation for us to follow suit. As for Audrey Davidson's book, call it one of the more essential titles published during the Messiaen centennial year.”–The American Organist

About the Author

AUDREY EKDAHL DAVIDSON is a Professor of Music Emerita at Western Michigan University and has published extensively on both early and modern music. She is also a musician and composer.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Praeger Publishers (September 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0275973409
• ISBN-13: 978-0275973407
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,320,747 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Flawed, but best study to date of this interesting topic, May 13, 2006

By 

Mackenzie Carlson "musician and history buff" (North Wales, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Olivier Messiaen and the Tristan Myth (Hardcover)

Audrey Ekdahl Davidson's "Olivier Messiaen and the Tristan Myth" covers Messiaen's so-called "Tristan trilogy": the song-cycle Harawi, the massive Turangalila-Symphonie, and the choral Cinq rechants. In these pieces Messiaen grappled with the myth and symbols surrounding Tristan and Isolde in a complex and very personal way. I can attest that it is possible to enjoy and be moved by these pieces without being aware of the Tristan theme or even understanding the words (in the case of Harawi and the Cinq rechants), but Messiaen's music always rewards further study and this book helps to unravel the complex web of themes and references in his treatment of the Tristan myth.

Davidson is most successful in her discussion of the often surreal imagery that Messiaen works with, and her translation and explication of the poems in Harawi and Cinq rechants is very helpful for an understanding of these difficult texts that combine French, Quechua, Sanskrit, and invented words. In the case of the Cinq rechants, there is almost no syntax whatsoever.

Davidson's musical analysis is comparatively disappointing, however. She often just describes the music sequentially in a way that does not enlighten the reader. Writing about music is very difficult, and I prefer a style that synthesizes what is noteworthy, important, and interesting, often drawing on the author's long experience with a piece or a composer. I had the sense that Davidson was relying on the score of each piece as a crutch. From a musical standpoint, I would recommend Robert Sherlaw Johnson's book on Messiaen (unfortunately out of print), though it, too, leaves something to be desired.

I am glad I read "Olivier Messiaen and the Tristan Myth," and am grateful for the insights it gave me into the fascinating works it covers. Nonetheless, I believe the definitive work on this subject still remains to be written.