The role of textural design in the music of Olivier Messiaen: a study of Couleurs de la cité céleste

This study first traces the evolution of a new musical design, one which emphasizes textual elements in the structural foundation. It follows with an account of the life and musical style of Olivier Messian, a contemporary composer who has emphasized timbre as a structural parameter in his music - m...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Wallendorf, Paulette Sue
Format: Others
Language:English
Published: North Texas State University 1981
Subjects:
Online Access:https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc798306/
Description
Summary:This study first traces the evolution of a new musical design, one which emphasizes textual elements in the structural foundation. It follows with an account of the life and musical style of Olivier Messian, a contemporary composer who has emphasized timbre as a structural parameter in his music - most notably in several works of the sixties. An analysis of his Couleurs de la Cité Céleste (1963) is offered in the final chapter, indicating in particular the important role that timbre, as well as other textual elements, plays on forming the large-scale design.