Messiaen’s Birdsong Style in La Fauvette des jardins

• Main Authors: Shih Hao Tsai, 蔡世豪
• Other Authors: 陳美鸞
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/zcruz9

博士 === 國立臺北藝術大學 === 音樂學系博士班 === 100 === Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) was a French composer of far-reaching influence and significant contribution to 20th century Western Music. In his work, color, rhythm, religion and “birdsong” became notable characteristics of his compositions and were of particular emphases in his lectures. He often taught his students how to observe and understand the things around them because one’s surroundings could always be potential content or inspiration for music. Listening to birds as a hobby was a big part of Messiaen’s life ever since childhood. In 1941, he began writing these “bird songs” into his compositions. In his Exploration Period, he even dedicated six years to studying and composing primarily bird songs. His most well-known representative work, Catalogue d’oiseaux, was written during this time. La Fauvette des jardins was composed in 1970 in which the main character, the fauvette des jardins, is the most prominent bird, with Messiaen dedicating a large portion of the composition to it. The coloring method of the fauvette des jardins formed in the La Fauvette des jardins has remarkable difference compared with other types of birdsongs. Since then, this form of birdsong appeared in his later works from time to time. The singing of the fauvette des jardins is often performed by piano solo at a very high frequency, therefore the piano has become equivalent with the voice of the fauvette des jardins, even in orchestral works. Birdsong, the only compositional element of its kind, is unique to Messiaen and his original use of it contributed a phenomenon in music history. In addition, due to the lack of understanding of how birds sing in the world, multi-faceted challenges have occurred in both the performance and listening of these works. First, this thesis will explain Messiaen’s unique musical language and the evolution of birdsong composition. Second, it will observe the 18 birdsongs in La Fauvette des jardins according to Messiaen’s narratives on birdsongs in Traité de Rythme, de couleur, et d’Ornithologie and it will compare them with the birdsongs in Catalogue d’oiseaux. Third, it will explore the correlation between depicting natural landscapes and composing musical works. Since the proportion of birdsongs in Messiaens’ works became more abundant and important as time went on, it is safe to say that the birdsong became the most special phenomenon in Messiaen’s musical repertoire. Lastly, this study will talk about the distinctive creativity and position in musical history the birdsong style has presented, through its extensive research on La Fauvette des jardins.