The Messiaen/Birdsong Project
This page contains elements of my work from my dissertation, which is related to Western composers’ use of sounds of nature in their music. Since I studied Catalogue d’Oiseaux (“Catalog of Birds”) abroad, it’s only fitting that the majority of the featured, multidisciplinary perspectives revolve around Olivier Messiaen.
The Podcast
One of the main goals for this project has always been to demonstrate how Messiaen’s Catalog of Birds is applicable to fields outside of music. Many pianists I’ve spoken with know of Messiaen’s Vingt regards sur l’enfant-Jesus (“Twenty Contemplations on the Infant Jesus”) and, thanks to music history class, most have heard Quatuor pour la fin du temps (“Quartet for the End of Time”); but other than a select few, not as many are aware of the Catalog. Perhaps this series is for my fellow musicians, as well as the general public.
