Output details

Messiaen's Final Works

The double-weighting of _Messiaen’s Final Works_ reflects the fact that it is by far the most substantial theoretical examination of music by Messiaen published thus far. Explicitly rejecting the epithet ‘late’ works, this monograph places extensive detailed analytical observations of the works written after the completion of the opera _Saint François d’Assise_ within a framework of contextual material in arguing first, that Messiaen encountered a profound artistic crisis and, second, that his music underwent a discernible shift in style and technique in the years immediately before his death in 1992. The book draws on previously unpublished material from the composer’s diaries and other documents such as working compositional plans, his birdsong _cahiers_ and short score for the incomplete _Concert à 4_ in outlining the genesis, intent and inspiration of each work. It charts an initial return to first principles in the sequence of miniatures that followed the opera, before an opening out of subject matter and liberalization of harmonic procedures in the last few works. Close analysis reveals both the freedom of Messiaen’s use of individual techniques in his final years and the long-term harmonic structures underpinning the music. The latter comprehensively debunks the notion of Messiaen as a juxtaposer of unrelated blocks. In particular, after examination of the individual movements of _Éclairs sur l’Au-Delà…_ in isolation, the inter-relationships, motivic development and fundamental harmonic structure are outlined, revealing how superficially disjunct movements draw on shared material. Finally, the book uses the example of Messiaen to challenge the concept of ‘late’ works, arguing that, far from a swansong, his last completed work, _Éclairs_, found him composing in full-flow.

The double-weighting of _Messiaen’s Final Works_ reflects the fact that this 130,000-word monograph, containing more than 150 examples and illustrations, is by far the most substantial theoretical examination of Messiaen’s music published thus far. Many of the 25 chapters are equal in substance and scholarly content to a major journal article, presenting significant new archival material alongside extensive and detailed analytical insight. Moreover, the analyses and contextual framework substantially revise existing views of how this music is both composed and perceived, with significant implications for the broader understanding not only of Messiaen, but also late 20th-century music in general.