Table of Contents

Contents: Introduction; Messiaen's theology; Communicating through music; Adding a communicable language; Linguistic analysis of the 'langage communicable'; Issues of cognition of Messiaen's 'langage' and signs;The semiotic system in context; Meaning and mentalese; Select discography; Glossary; Bibliography; Index.

About the Author

Andrew Shenton holds bachelor, masters and doctoral degrees from London University, Yale and Harvard respectively. A noted scholar and performer, Dr Shenton currently serves on the faculty of Boston University where he directs the Master of Sacred Music program and the Boston University Messiaen Project (BUMP).

Reviews

Prize: Awarded the 2009 Max. B Miller Book Award from the American Guild of Organists Organ Library �... the book is packed with creative and critical thinking.� Tempo �... Shenton's book ...is of fundamental importance ...(his) approach is the deepest and most empathetic to Messiaen that I have yet come across. There is so much to be learnt from this book, and as such, I recommend it wholeheartedly to those, like me, who regard Messiaen as the seminal composer of organ music in the twentieth century.� Journal of the British Institute of Organ Studies � ... (an) exhaustive study ...Its thoroughness is admirable, and the excursions down the by-ways leading from the central argument are thought-provoking and interesting. Shenton always puts both sides of his argument, in which he is helped, perhaps unfortunately, by the frequent ambivalence of Messiaen himself.� The Organists' Review �It is good that in this anniversary year we have such an important study of Messiaen's music as this one. Andrew Shenton has amassed a wealth of material from a wide range of sources to produce an excellent 200 page scholarly work that will do a considerable amount to aid the understanding and interpretation of the composer's output. ... There is also a select discography, a full bibliography, a glossary, and a good index. There are so many ways in which this book stands out as being impressive... above all the way in which Shenton brings together all the material in such a detailed and comprehensive study of the music.� The Organ