Messiaen in Context

"Exploring the many dimensions of Messiaen's life, thought and music, this book provides fresh perspectives on the contexts within which the composer worked, the intellectual currents that influenced him, and the influence he himself exerted on twentieth-century music. It enables a holistic understanding of this 'mondial' French composer in relation to the wider world, including his engagement with and refiguration of theology through music, the performance and reception of his work, the ways in which his aesthetics and conceptual universe have been understood by his students, and how his legacy continues to evolve. Reappraising known facts and adding new interpretations from a variety of inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary viewpoints, Messiaen in Context provides a fresh understanding and engagement with one of the most significant musicians of the twentieth century. Robert Sholl teaches at The Royal Academy of Music and the University of West London. He is the editor of Messiaen Studies (2007) and James MacMillan Studies (with George Parsons, 2021) and Contemporary Music and Spirituality (with Sander van Maas, 2017). As a performer, he has played all of Messiaen's organ music, recorded improvisations to film on the organ and piano, and has given recitals at major venues in London and Paris"--