Olivier Messiaen: Oiseaux exotiques

Peter Hill is Professor of Music at the University of Sheffield. A former student of Messiaen, he is editor of The Messiaen Companion (1995), and co-author, with Nigel Simeone, of the ground-breaking biography, Messiaen (2005). As a pianist he is a leading performer of Messiaen's music, and has recorded the composer's complete works. Nigel Simeone is Professor of Historical Musicology at the University of Sheffield. He is the author of Paris: A Musical Gazetteer (2000), two books on Messiaen, and co-author, with Peter Hill, of the acclaimed biography Messiaen (2005).

• Contents: Introduction; Context; Birdsong and sketches; Commentary; First performance, reception and publication; Interpretations; Postscript; Appendix A:the birds in Oiseaux exotiques; Bibliography; Discography; CD track list; Index.

'In Olivier Messiaen: Oiseaux exotiques, Peter Hill and Nigel Simeone have provided a fascinating study that draws together several strands of musicological research, including source studies, reception history, commentary and analysis. This beautifully written book is an original and fascinating exploration of the surprising alliance of music and nature by one of the twentieth century's most underrated composers. It is the first study to present new material from Messiaen's cahiers, and its commentary to the music on the accompanying CD makes this book a tremendously engaging read. Against the context of music in Paris and Messiaen's personal life, the authors present a systematic and comprehensive study of the piece in which Messiaen's birdsong style ceases to be mere transcription and becomes an integral part of his musical language. Olivier Messiaen: Oiseaux exotiques joins a small number of books that both break new scholarly ground and also appeal to general readers-in particular, those willing to listen to Messiaen's music with spirit and with understanding.' Andrew Shenton, Boston University, author of Olivier Messiaen's System of Signs. ’Olivier Messiaen: Oiseaux exotiques shows Ashgate's ongoing commitment to the work of Messiaen and the well-honed team of Hill and Simeone provide a highly readable and communicable account of this seminal work...pitched ideally and is approachable from enthusiasts as well as students and academia. The book is presented in the usual high quality Ashgate style with beautifully set musical examples’ www.oliviermessiaen.org ’... intelligence, common sense and musical insight do all that is required.’ (Five star rating) BBC Music Magazine ’... an ideal subject for Ashgate's 'Landmarks in Music Since 1950' series, while the combination of Hill and Smeone is, to put it mildly, an extremely effective marriage of talents. Although doubtless an over-simplification, Hill takes the lead in the musical commentary, drawing