This year marks the 100th anniversary of Olivier Messiaen’s birth, December 1908. So maybe it’s more like the anniversary of his conception as well.

Son of an English teacher father who translated Shakespeare, and a symbolist poet mother, Messiaen, who died in 1992, is still perhaps the most unique and exotic of 20th century composers.

There is an excellent one-page appreciation of Messiaen’s music and role in 20c music in last Sunday’s New York Times by Anthony Tommasini.

And, it looks like there will be many concerts honoring Messiaen in New York City and Europe this year. Here is a partial list of events.

One of Messiaen’s great interests was bird song. Many of his pieces feature his own transcriptions and interpretations of the songs of birds, from the ordinary to the exotic.

The next MFOM broadcast will feature two bird-song based pieces that are very rarely performed: Réveil des Oiseaux (Bird’s Awakening) for piano and orchestra, and La Fauvette des Jardins (The Garden Warbler) for piano solo.

Details:

Messiaen: Réviel des Oiseaux (1953) (Birds’ Awakening)
Yvonne Loriod, piano; Orchestre National de France, Kent Nagano, cond
Erato 0630-12702 (1996)

Messiaen: La Fauvette des Jardins (1970) (The Garden Warbler)
Peter Hill, piano. Unicorn-Kanchana DKP 9090 (1990)
And stay tuned to Music From Other Minds for more Messiaen throughout the year.