Table of Contents

Contents: Introducing Messiaen the theologian, Andrew Shenton; Part 1 Messiaen the Theologian: Religious literature in Messiaen's personal library, Yves Balmer; Messiaen as preacher and evangelist in the context of European modernism, Peter Bannister; Messiaen's saintly naïveté, Sander van Maas. Part 2 Messiaen's Relationship with Theologians: Olivier Messiaen and Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger: 2 views of the liturgical reform according to the 2nd Vatican Council, Karin Heller; Messiaen's relationship to Jacques Maritain's musical circle and neo-Thomism, Douglas Shadle; Messiaen and Aquinas, Vincent P. Benitez. Part 3 Messiaen, Poets and Theological Themes: Dante as guide to Messiaen's Gothic spirituality, Robert Fallon; Five quartets: the search for the still point of the turning world in the war quartets of T.S. Eliot and Olivier Messiaen, Andrew Shenton; The charm of impossibilities: mystic surrealism as contemplative voluptuousness, Stephen Schloesser. Part 4 Theology in Messiaen's Music: 'Une Å“uvre simple, solonnelle...': Messiaen's commission from André Malraux, Nigel Simeone; Olivier Messiaen and the avant-garde poetics of the Mess de la Pentecôte, Robert Sholl; Messiaen as explorer in Livre du Saint Sacrement, Luke Berryman; Buddhist temple, Shinto shrine and the invisible God of Sept Haïkaï, Cheong Wai Ling; Glossary of people; Select bibliography; Index.

Introducing Messiaen the theologian, Andrew Shenton; Part 1 Messiaen the Theologian: Religious literature in Messiaen's personal library, Yves Balmer; Messiaen as preacher and evangelist in the context of European modernism, Peter Bannister; Messiaen's 'saintly naivete' Sander van Maas.; Part 2 Messiaen's Relationship with Theologians: Olivier Messiaen and Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger: Two views of the liturgical reform according to the 2nd Vatican Council, Karin Heller; Messiaen's relationship to Jacques Maritain's musical circle and neo-Thomism, Douglas Shadle; Messiaen and Aquinas, Vincent P. Benitez.; Part 3 Messiaen, Poets and Theological Themes: Dante as guide to Messiaen's Gothic spirituality, Robert Fallon; Five quartets: the search for the still point of the turning world in the war works of T.S. Eliot and Olivier Messiaen, Andrew Shenton; The charm of impossibilities: mystic surrealism as contemplative voluptuousness, Stephen Schloesser.; Part 4 Theology in Messiaen's Music: 'Une oeuvre simple, solonnelle...' - Messiaen's commission from Andre Malraux, Nigel Simeone; Olivier Messiaen and the avant-garde poetics of the Mess de la Pentecote, Robert Sholl; Messiaen as explorer in Livre du Saint Sacrement, Luke Berryman; Buddhist temple, Shinto shrine and the invisible God of Sept Haikai, Cheong Wai Ling; Glossary of people; Bibliography; Index.

About the Author

Andrew Shenton holds bachelor, masters and doctoral degrees from London University, Yale and Harvard respectively. A renowned performer, scholar and educator, Dr. Shenton is currently a member of the musicology faculty at Boston University where he directs the Messiaen Project. He was a contributor to Olivier Messiaen: Music, Art, Literature (Ashgate, 2007) and his monograph Olivier Messiaen's System of Signs (Ashgate, 2008) won the 2009 Miller Book Award. Andrew Shenton, Yves Balmer, Peter Bannister, Sander van Maas., Karin Heller, Douglas Shadle, Vincent P. Benitez, Robert Fallon, Stephen Schloesser, Nigel Simeone, Robert Sholl, Luke Berryman, Cheong Wai Ling.

Reviews

’...the book holds together critical scholarship in a variety of disciplines without watering down any one of them... Messiaen the Theologian presents a vivid display of the life and work of Olivier Messiaen - a man who refused to shy away from his personal convictions and inspired originality. This book is representative of the leading current scholarship on Messiaen, and provides a critical appraisal of several key issues surrounding the relationship between theology and the music of Olivier Messiaen.’ Catholic Books Review 'The present volume - reflecting the exemplary standards we have come to expect of Ashgate - is to be welcomed as a stimulating and serious contribution to the expanding critical literature of this extraordinary artist.' Journal of the British Institute of Organ Studies '...highly accessible...a comprehensible survey of the theological life and times of the great musical colourist, along with a useful bibliography and biographical glossary ... a particular strength of this useful book is the light touch with which its international contributors integrate case studies with more general approaches to specific aspects of Messiaen's work, successfully mapping the correspondences between his music and theology.' Times Literary Supplement 'Messiaen the Theologian sets the stage for a full and compelling exploration of Messiaen's reach outward past Roman Catholicism into the world of global mysticism... fascinating...' The American Organist '... [a] very rich, scholarly book... [with] excellent essays... essential for academic libraries...' Theological Book Review 'The "Glossary of People" is invaluable. Summing Up: Highly recommended.' Choice