ABSTRACT

Olivier Messiaen's fondness for birds is far better known than his affinity for mountains, his music is nonetheless filled with a geological theme. Both birds and mountains connote high elevation and lead toward the heavens, but birds sing rapidly in a high tessitura, while rocks and mountains complement them with a ponderous tempo, a low tessitura, and an absence of melody. La Transfiguration de Notre-Seigneur Jésus-Christ reflects on the biblical miracle on Mount Tabor, scenes from Saint Franéois take place on Mount Verna, and Livre du Saint Sacrement contains birdsong notated on Israel's Mount of Temptation. The story of the creation of Mount Messiaen has been told once before, in an article by Harriet Watts published in Decade. Julie Whitaker met with Charles Bestor of the University Of Utah School Of Music, who suggested that a week-long festival take place at Snowbird, a mountain resort outside of Salt Lake City that would be integrated into the school's summer coursework.