Theology in Music

A blog considering theology as illustrated by Western Art Music

French Music

  • Awaiting the resurrection of the dead

    Yesterday was Armistice day, and although there are a number of pieces of music that could be selected to mark that occasion. For me, inevitably, the first to come to mind is the work commissioned by André Malraux, Minister of Cultural Affairs in France, from Olivier Messiaen in 1963 as a sacred work to commemorate Read more

  • Coequal in the Father’s light

    In 1892 the director of the Paris Conservatoire is supposed to have said of a dangerously modern candidate for that institution’s professorship of composition ‘Never! If he’s appointed, I resign.’ In 1896 that same candidate took up the professorship under a different director, and in 1905 became director himself in turn. Many years before, while Read more

  • Lilies floating among the stars

    This week saw Michaelmas, not only the start of a traditional academic year (in at least some ancient universities), but the feast of St Michael and All Angels. It seemed obvious to me, therefore, that this instalment of the blog should consider some musical evocation of angels. Though there are several one might have chosen, Read more

  • As the Host is lifted up

    In the nineteenth century one, and only one, woman was made a professor of the Paris Conservatoire. Professor of piano, Louise Farrenc – née Jeanne-Louise Dumont (her husband had been a flautist, but settled down to become a music publisher, and Éditions Farrenc had significant success). She, herself, developed from a child prodigy of an Read more

  • The Mystery of Faith in Sound

    In 2003 the French and Lebanese organist and composer Naji Hakim wrote, to a commission of Leo Abbott of Boston, a former student of his, a piece in memoriam Theodore Marier, noted teacher and advocate for Gregorian plainchant. That inspiration, together with Hakim’s extensive practice as a liturgical improviser, leads to no surprise that the Read more

  • In Spirit and in Truth

    Back to the theologically rich sound-world of the organ in twentieth-century Paris, but not straight back to Messiaen – some readers may be glad to know – but rather to another protégée of Marcel Dupré, the brilliant and virtuosic organist Jeanne Demessieux, introduced to the world by Dupré only for a personal rift of some Read more

  • The Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist

    It would be inconceivable that this blog finishes with the music of Messiaen, but I do assure those of you who have stuck through my posts for the last few weeks that next week will feature music by a different composer. While doing Messiaen season, however, it would seem remiss for a post on the Read more

  • The Mystery of the Holy Trinity

    Messiaen season continues in this blog as we head towards Trinity Sunday. Messiaen was organist of a church dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and those who know his organ music will think immediately of the Méditations sur le mystère de la Sainte Trinité, a cycle of meditations that originated in an event alternating organ improvisations Read more

  • Advent, again?

    As I explained last week, the blog is going to follow something of a series for a few weeks, as the liturgical calendar suggested several items from the works of the self-consciously theological composer Olivier Messiaen. This week we are in the time between Ascension Day and Pentecost, and the musical focus will be on Read more

  • Transported by Joy

    For the next few weeks I have planned something of a ‘series’ of posts on musical commentaries on the major festivals that fall over one another at this time of year. Tomorrow is Ascension Day; a little over a week after that is Pentecost, the following week Trinity Sunday and then Corpus Christi. Each of Read more