TURANGALILASYMPHONIE

OlivierMessiaen(19081992)
FrenchComposer,Organist,andOrnithologist
Rhythmiccomplexity
HarmonyandMelodyderivedfromhismodesoflimitedtransposition


Importantlifeevents
EnteredParisConservatory
AppointmentatlglisedelaSainteTrinit(1931)
Turangalila(194648,premiered1949)
FallofFrance Retirement
Releasedfromthestalag
ProfessorofHarmonyatParisConservatory
ProfessorofCompositionatParisConservatory
ScholaCantorumdeParis

1908 1919 1931 19401941 1966 1978 1992



SelectedMajorWorks

Preludes(192829)piano Chronochromie(19591960)orchestra
Themeetvariations(1932)violinandpiano Etexspectoresurrectionmortuorum(1964)
LAscension(193233)orchestra(organ wind,brassandpercussion
193334) LaTransfigurationdeNotreSeigneur
LaNativiteduSeigneur(1935)organ JesusChrist(196569)large10partchorus,
Fetesdesbelleseaux(1937)6ondes pianosolo,cellosolo,flutesolo,clarinetsolo,
Martenots xylorimbasolo,vibraphonesolo,largeorchestra
LesCorpsglorieux(1939)organ Descanyonsauxetoiles(197174)solo
Quatuorpourlafindutemps(194041) piano,solohorn,sologlock,soloxylorimba,small
chamber orchestrawith13stringplayers
VingtregardssurlenfantJesus(1944)piano SaintFrancoisdAssise(197583)opera
Harawi(1944)songcycle Unvitrailetdesoiseaux(1986)pianosolo,
TurangalilaSymphonie(194648)orchestra brass,winds,percussion
Cinqrechants(1948)12singers Eclairssurlaudela(198892)orchestra
MessedelaPentecote(194950)organ
Lamerlenoir(1952)fluteandpiano
Reveildesoiseaux(1953)solopianoand
orchestra
Cataloguedoiseaux(195658)piano



Treatises
Techniquedemonlangagemusical( 1944)
Modesoflimitedtransposition
Vingtleonsdharmonie(1944)
Traitderythme,decouleur,etd'ornithologie(19491992)
CompletedbyYvonneLoriod(Messiaenssecondwife)
7partsboundin8volumes
AnalysisofthePianoWorksofMauriceRavel(2005)
EditedbyYvonneLoriod
TranslatedbyPaulGriffiths

TurangalilaSymphonie(194648)
CommissionedbySergeKoussevitzkyfortheBostonSymphonyOrchestra
YvonneLoriodpianosoloist
GinetteMartenotwifeofMauriceMartenotplayedondesatthepremiere
80minutesinduration10movements
DemandingpianopartandpredominantlyfeaturestheondesMartenots
InspiredbyTristanandIsolde
Titleoftheworkisderivedfrom2Sanskritwords,TurangaandLila,whichroughlytranslatesas
lovesongandhymnofjoy,time,movement,rhythm,lifeanddeath
Premierereceivednegativereviews.RudolphEliefromtheBostonHeralddescribeditas:
Thecluetothepossiblefundamentalemptinessofthiswork,istheappallingmelodic
tawdrinessofthethreebigcyclicalthemesheardthroughout.[]Thefirstisamottoof
sixnotesGershwinwouldhavethoughtbetterofthesecondmightmakethegradeasa
tuneforDorothyLamourinasarong,andthethird,adanceofjoy,mightbeascribedto
HinduHillbillies,iftherebesuch.

CyclicThemes

Statuetheme Flowertheme








Lovetheme





Simplechainofchords



Movementbreakdown

I.Introduction.M
odr,unpeuvif.
Franticopening,followedbyintroductionofstatueandflowerthemes
Developmentlikesectionensues
Reiterationofstatuethememarksendofmovement
II.Chantdamour1.M
odr,lourd.
Atonalintroduction
Alternationbetweenfast/passionatethemeandgentletheme
Dissonancelingersbehindallhintsoflyricism
Resolutionsareconstantlysetup,onlytobeskippedby
III.Turangalila1.P
resquelent,rveur.
Threethemesarestated(soloclarinet,lowbrass/strings,woodwinds)
Asmovementdevelops,themesoverlap
Percussiondominant
IV.Chantdamour2.Bienmodr.
Startswithscherzoforpiccoloandbassoon
9sections(someofwhichrecallsearliermusic)
CalmpianocadenzainAmajordrawsthemovementtoaclose
V.JoieduSangdestoiles.V
if,passionnavecjoie
Franticdancebasedonafastvariantofthestatuetheme
Unionoftwolovers
Endswithpianocadenzaandbrieforchestralcoda
VI.JardinduSommeildamour.Trsmodr,trstendre.
Firstfullrenditionoflovetheme(stringsandondesMartenot)
Accompaniedbyvariousbirdsongandotherorchestralcolouration
Thetwoloversareenclosedinlovessleep.Alandscapecomesoutfromthem
VII.Turangalila2.Unpeuvif,bienmodr.
Atonalmovement
Intendedtoevoketerrorandfear
EdgarAllenPoesThePitandthePendulum
VIII.Dveloppementdamour.B
ienmodr.
Latedevelopmentsection
Statue,flower,andlovethemearearedevelopedandexplored
4thcyclicthemeisintroduced
Juxtapositionbetweeninmoodanddensity
IX.Turangalila3.B
ienmodr.
Newthemeisintroducedinthewoodwinds
5partpercussionensemble
Themeandvariations
X.Final.M
odr,presquevif,avecungrandejoie
Sonataform
EndsongiantF#majorchord.
Gloryandjoyarewithoutend



Bibliography

Barker,Thomas.TheSocialandAestheticSituationofOlivierMessiaen'sReligiousMusic:Turangalla
Symphonie.InternationalReviewoftheAestheticsandSociologyofMusic,vol.43,no.1,2012,
pp.5370.www.jstor.org/stable/41552762.

Hook,JulianL.RhythmintheMusicofMessiaen:AnAlgebraicStudyandanApplicationinthe
TurangallaSymphony.M usicTheorySpectrum,vol.20,no.1,1998,pp.97120.
www.jstor.org/stable/746158.