A COURSE IN MUSIC APPRECIATION
Olivier Messiaen: color, birdsong, and the end of time
A complete course on the French composer who heard music in colors, wrote down the songs of birds, and built one of the century’s most unforgettable works in a prisoner-of-war camp.
About this course
Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992) is one of the most distinctive figures in all of music. A devout Catholic, a serious ornithologist, and a teacher to a generation of composers, he built a sound world unlike anyone else’s — luminous harmonies he associated with specific colors, rhythms drawn from ancient and non-Western sources, and melodies transcribed directly from birdsong. This course opens that world up for the curious listener, from the famous Quartet for the End of Time to the vast orchestral canvases of his later years.
No theory background is needed. We listen first, and let the ideas follow the sound.
Syllabus
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Schedule & registration
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Dates & schedule: [TBD: session dates, times, and location on campus].
Registration: [TBD: registration fee and member price — member pricing applies automatically when signed in].