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'Messiaen and Mozart: A Love Without Influence?'

‘Messiaen and Mozart: A Love Without Influence?’ makes a systematic examination of Messiaen’s lifelong relationship with the music of Mozart. It argues that Mozart went beyond the usual norms of influence, with the language Messiaen uses to describe Mozart being discernibly different from discussion of other notable influences, such as Debussy or Stravinsky. In short, Mozart was a semi-divine figure whose works represented a kind of ur-music for Messiaen. Having established this, the chapter considers reasons for the relative paucity of discussion of Mozartean influence. While some borrowings occur, the chapter draws on evidence from Messiaen’s self-analyses to theorize that Mozart’s influence may go beyond quotation to more fundamental resonances. The chapter appears in _Messiaen Perspectives 1: Sources and Influences_, a collection conceived by Dingle and co-edited with Robert Fallon. It presents many new primary sources, including discussion of Messiaen’s birdsong _cahiers_, sketch and archival materials for his Prix de Rome entries and war-time _Portique_, along with performance practice insights and theological inspiration in works as diverse as _Visions de l’Amen_, _Harawi_, _Timbres-durées_ and the organ _Méditations_. The volume places the composer within a broader historical and cultural framework than has previously been attempted, ranging from specific influences to more general contexts. Dingle is also author of ‘Yvonne Loriod as Source and Influence’ and the accompanying discography of Loriod’s commercial recordings (see reserve item). He is also co-author with Fallon of ‘Perspectives on Sources’ and ‘Perspectives on Influences’, reflective introductions which place these terms within a broader scholarly context in keeping with the outward-facing nature of the two _Messiaen Perspectives_ volumes. Together these collect 29 chapters from an international and multilingual group of leading and emerging scholars, drawing heavily, but not exclusively, from research presented at the Messiaen 2008 International Centenary Conference, organized by Dingle at Birmingham Conservatoire.