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Another Messiaen Question

Author: orchestr
Date: 2008-10-07 19:33

Has anyone found field recordings of birds (is it blackbirds? I forget), and compared them to the bird calls in the Quartet for the End of Time? Specifically the Abyss of the Birds? If anyone's looking for a thesis topic... It would be great to have a website where you could listen to the bird call, and then listen to the passage or lick in the Abime that imitates the call. I tried finding some online, but the black birds I heard didn't really resemble the Quartet at all. However, listening to black birds for half an hour did help me interpret the bird-like parts of the piece!

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Re: Another Messiaen Question

Author: NorbertTheParrot
Date: 2008-10-07 20:03

Beware that UK and US common names for birds are not the same. Most famously, the UK robin and the US robin are entirely different species, with only the most superficial resemblance. Similarly, the UK/European blackbird does not occur in the US, and US sources may use the term blackbird for unrelated species. The "merle noir" referred to by Messiaen in a flute piece is the European blackbird. The genuine article can be heard on http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/birdsong.shtml.

Recordings of bird songs are readily available on CD or, with video, on DVD. I've never looked for comprehensive online sources.

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Re: Another Messiaen Question

Author: Nessie1
Date: 2008-10-08 07:53

As a parrot you'd know, I suppose (lol)!

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Re: Another Messiaen Question

Author: tacet
Date: 2008-10-09 14:57

I would be surprised if someone came up with a recording of the "Messiaen blackbird" simply because the (euopean) blackbird is extremely variable in its calls. It is not too difficult to identify individuals by their territory songs. Moreover, blackbirds are good at improvising new phrases, in particular when they duel with their neighbours and try to imitate each other.

So with regards to the Quatuor, I can only recommend what you already did: listen to them for a while, draw your conclusions --- and enjoy ... .

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