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29 May 2009
Innovative exhibition unveils the musical world of Messiaen
A new exhibition at the University of Sheffield will give a rare insight
into the world of one of the leading composers of the twentieth-century,
Olivier Messiaen.
Olivier Messiaen was one of the great originals of twentieth-century
music. His inspiration came from a variety of unusual sources including
colour, birdsong and the wonders of nature.
This innovative exhibition will present glimpses into the life and work
of Messiaen, exploring themes such as his religious faith, his
little-known private and family life, his relationship with nature, his
work as a teacher, his composing methods, his most personal and
important works, his collaboration with particular performers, and his
enduring legacy.
People visiting the exhibition will have the chance to see many rare
photographs and documents from Messiaen’s own collection, thanks to the
dedicated research into the life and work of the great composer by
Professors Peter Hill and Nigel Simeone, of the University’s Department
of Music.
They are the only researchers to have been allowed access to the private
Messiaen Archive in Paris and are authors of the prize-winning book
Messiaen. This biography traces the origins of many of Messiaen’s
greatest works and places them in the context of his life, from his
years at the Paris Conservatoire, his passionate first marriage to
Claire Delbos, through to the immense achievements of his final decades.
Professor Hill is a former student of Messiaen and is regarded as one of
the world’s finest interpreters of his music. He edited The Messiaen
Companion and as a pianist has recorded all Messiaen’s music for solo
piano. Professor Simeone is the author of Paris: A Musical Gazetteer
(published by Yale University Press) and of two earlier books on Messiaen.
One of the greatest French composers of the 20th century, Messiaen began
his musical studies at the Paris Conservatoire aged only eleven. He
wrote in most genres, and was also an organist and one of the most
influential teachers of his time. Up to now our knowledge of Messiaen
has been largely conditioned by what he said about himself. But Messiaen
said little about his working methods, and in later life he became
fanatically secretive about any work in progress, and was similarly
reserved about his private life.
The exhibition will take place between Monday 8 and Friday 12 June,
10am-4pm, at the University of Sheffield, Jessop Exhibition Space,
Jessop West, 1 Upper Hanover Street. It forms part of the ‘New Ground’
season of art, music and literature to help celebrate the new home of
the University’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities. The exhibition is open
to the public and admission is free.
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