''Catalogue d'oiseaux'' ("Catalogue of birds") is a work for piano solo by
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist who was one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex; harmonical ...
consisting of thirteen pieces, written between October 1956 and September 1958. It is devoted to birds and dedicated to his second wife
Yvonne Loriod
Yvonne Louise Georgette Loriod-Messiaen (; 20 January 1924 – 17 May 2010) was a French pianist, teacher, and composer, and the second wife of composer Olivier Messiaen. Her sister was the Ondes Martenot player Jeanne Loriod.
Biography
Loriod ...
.
Premiere
The work was premiered by Yvonne Loriod on 15 April 1959 in Paris,
Salle Gaveau
The Salle Gaveau, named after the French piano maker Gaveau, is a classical concert hall in Paris, located at 45-47 rue La Boétie, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. It is particularly intended for chamber music.
Construction
The plans for th ...
, for the concerts of the "
Domaine musical" organized by
Pierre Boulez
Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 1925 – 5 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war Western classical music.
Born in Mon ...
.
Aim of the work
For these pieces, Messiaen did not want to be limited to the evocation of the bird of which each of it bears the title.
[Booklet of the above referenced CD]
Title of the pieces
*1 - The
Alpine chough
The Alpine chough (), or yellow-billed chough (''Pyrrhocorax graculus'') is a bird in the crow family, one of only two species in the genus '' Pyrrhocorax''. Its two subspecies breed in high mountains from Spain eastwards through southern Europ ...
(''Chocard des Alpes'')
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*2 - The
Eurasian golden oriole
The Eurasian golden oriole (''Oriolus oriolus'') also called the common golden oriole, is the only member of the Old World oriole family of passerine birds breeding in Northern Hemisphere temperate regions. It is a summer migrant in Europe and ...
(''Loriot d'Europe'')
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*3 - The
Blue rock thrush
The blue rock thrush (''Monticola solitarius'') is a species of chat. This thrush-like Old World flycatcher was formerly placed in the family Turdidae. It breeds in southern Europe, northwest Africa, and from Central Asia to northern China and ...
(''Merle bleu'')
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*4 - The
Western black-eared wheatear (''Traquet stapazin'')
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*5 - The
Tawny owl
The tawny owl (''Strix aluco''), also called the brown owl, is commonly found in woodlands across Europe to western Siberia, and has seven recognized subspecies. It is a stocky, medium-sized owl, whose underparts are pale with dark streaks, ...
(''Chouette hulotte'')
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*6 - The
Woodlark
The woodlark or wood lark (''Lullula arborea'') is the only extant species in the lark genus ''Lullula''. It is found across most of Europe, the Middle East, western Asia and the mountains of north Africa. It is mainly resident (non- migratory) ...
(''Alouette lulu'')
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*7 - The
Eurasian reed warbler
The common reed warbler (''Acrocephalus scirpaceus'') is an Old World warbler in the genus '' Acrocephalus''. It breeds across Europe into the temperate western Palaearctic where it is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. It is also a res ...
(''Rousserolle effarvatte'')
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*8 - The
Greater short-toed lark
The greater short-toed lark (''Calandrella brachydactyla'') is a small passerine bird. The current scientific name is from Ancient Greek. The genus name, ''Calandrella'', is a diminutive of ''kalandros'', the calandra lark, and ''brachydactila'' ...
(''Alouette calandrelle'')
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*9 - The
Cetti's warbler
Cetti's warbler (''Cettia cetti'') is a small, brown bush-warbler which breeds in southern and central Europe, northwest Africa and the east Palearctic as far as Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan. The sexes are alike. The bird is named after ...
(''Bouscarle de Cetti'')
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*10 - The
Common rock thrush
The common rock thrush (''Monticola saxatilis''), also known as rufous-tailed rock thrush or simply rock thrush, is a chat belonging to the family Muscicapidae. It was formerly placed in the family Turdidae. The scientific name is from Latin. ...
(''Merle de roche'')
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*11 - The
Common buzzard
The common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') is a medium-to-large bird of prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles ...
(''Buse variable'')
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*12 - The
Black wheatear (''Traquet rieur'')
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*13 - The
Eurasian curlew
The Eurasian curlew or common curlew (''Numenius arquata'') is a very large wader in the family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia. In Europe, this species is often referred ...
(''Courlis cendré'')
Recordings
*
Yvonne Loriod
Yvonne Louise Georgette Loriod-Messiaen (; 20 January 1924 – 17 May 2010) was a French pianist, teacher, and composer, and the second wife of composer Olivier Messiaen. Her sister was the Ondes Martenot player Jeanne Loriod.
Biography
Loriod ...
:
Erato Records
Erato Records is a record label founded in 1953 as Disques Erato by Philippe Loury to promote French classical music. Loury was head of éditions musicales Costallat. His first releases in France were licensed from the Haydn Society of Boston, ...
2292-45505-2/VI; ECD 71590 (1970-1973)
*
Peter Hill:
Regis
Regis or Régis may refer to:
People
* Regis (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
* Regis (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name)
* Regis (musician), full name Karl O'Connor, an English ...
B000Q7RKW8 (1986)
*
Anatol Ugorski
Anatol Ugorski (in , born 28 September 1942 in Rubtsovsk, Altai Krai, Soviet Union) is a classical pianist of Russian origin who lives in Germany.
Biography
Anatol Ugorski was born into a poor background and is the eldest of five children. In ...
:
Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon (; DGG) is a German classical music record label that was the precursor of the corporation PolyGram. Headquartered in Berlin Friedrichshain, it is now part of Universal Music Group (UMG) since its merger with the UMG family o ...
4743452 (1994)
*
Hakon Austbo:
Naxos Records
Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about ...
8.553532.34 (1997), Also includes ''
Petites esquisses d'oiseaux ''Petites esquisses d'oiseaux'', is a piano work by Olivier Messiaen composed in 1985, dedicated to his wife Yvonne Loriod. It has six parts, three of which are devoted to robins.
Analysis
In the preface, Messiaen writes:
Premiere
The piece ...
'' (composed in 1985).
*
Paul Kim:
Centaur Records
Centaur Records is one of the oldest and largest independent classical labels in America. The company is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and was founded by Victor Sachse in 1976. Centaur's catalog includes classical, historical, pops, contem ...
CRC 2567/68/69 (2001), Also includes ''
La Fauvette des jardins'' and ''
Petites esquisses d'oiseaux ''Petites esquisses d'oiseaux'', is a piano work by Olivier Messiaen composed in 1985, dedicated to his wife Yvonne Loriod. It has six parts, three of which are devoted to robins.
Analysis
In the preface, Messiaen writes:
Premiere
The piece ...
''
*
Roger Muraro:
Accord
Accord may refer to:
Businesses and products
* Honda Accord, a car manufactured by the Honda Motor Company
* Accord (cigarette), a brand of Rothmans, Benson & Hedges
* Accord (company), a former public services provider in south England
* Accord H ...
4657682 (2002)
*
Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Pierre-Laurent Aimard (born 9 September 1957) is a French pianist.
Biography
Aimard was born in Lyon, where he entered the conservatory. Later he studied with Yvonne Loriod and with Maria Curcio.
In 1973, he was awarded the chamber music priz ...
:
Pentatone PTC 5186670 (2018)
*Carl-Axel Dominique BIS BIS-CD-594/596 Also includes "La Favuette des jardins" and "Petites esquisses d'oiseaux".
See also
List of compositions by Olivier Messiaen
This is a list of compositions by Olivier Messiaen. Works are listed initially by genre and can be sorted chronologically by clicking on the "Date" header.
Messiaen's compositions include works for chamber ensemble, orchestra, vocal music, music ...
References
External links
Catalogue d'oiseauxin ''
Les Inrockuptibles
''Les Inrockuptibles'' () is a French cultural magazine. Started as a monthly magazine in 1986, it became weekly in 1995. Now it is a monthly again, since 2021. In the beginning, rock music was the magazine's primary focus, though every issue in ...
''
Three trackson
Gallica
''Catalogue d'oiseaux''on Naxos
Messiaen ''Catalogue d'oiseaux''on Gramophone
Olivier Messiaen, Catalogue d'oiseaux (in 7 books), for piano, I/42 (1956-1958) (Håkon Austbø, piano) on YouTube
** First Book
**
I. Le chocard des alpes(The
Alpine chough
The Alpine chough (), or yellow-billed chough (''Pyrrhocorax graculus'') is a bird in the crow family, one of only two species in the genus '' Pyrrhocorax''. Its two subspecies breed in high mountains from Spain eastwards through southern Europ ...
)
**
II. Le loriot(The
Eurasian golden oriole
The Eurasian golden oriole (''Oriolus oriolus'') also called the common golden oriole, is the only member of the Old World oriole family of passerine birds breeding in Northern Hemisphere temperate regions. It is a summer migrant in Europe and ...
)
**
III. Le merle bleu(The
Blue rock thrush
The blue rock thrush (''Monticola solitarius'') is a species of chat. This thrush-like Old World flycatcher was formerly placed in the family Turdidae. It breeds in southern Europe, northwest Africa, and from Central Asia to northern China and ...
)
** Second Book
**
IV. Le traquet stapazin(The
Black-eared wheatear)
** Third Book
**
V.-VI. La chouette hulotte & L'alouette-lulu(The
Tawny owl
The tawny owl (''Strix aluco''), also called the brown owl, is commonly found in woodlands across Europe to western Siberia, and has seven recognized subspecies. It is a stocky, medium-sized owl, whose underparts are pale with dark streaks, ...
& The
Woodlark
The woodlark or wood lark (''Lullula arborea'') is the only extant species in the lark genus ''Lullula''. It is found across most of Europe, the Middle East, western Asia and the mountains of north Africa. It is mainly resident (non- migratory) ...
)
**Fourth Book
*
VII. Le rousserolle effarvatte part 1(The
Eurasian reed warbler
The common reed warbler (''Acrocephalus scirpaceus'') is an Old World warbler in the genus '' Acrocephalus''. It breeds across Europe into the temperate western Palaearctic where it is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. It is also a res ...
)
*
VII. Le rousserolle effarvatte part 2**Fifth Book
*
VIII. L'alouette calandrelle(The
Greater short-toed lark
The greater short-toed lark (''Calandrella brachydactyla'') is a small passerine bird. The current scientific name is from Ancient Greek. The genus name, ''Calandrella'', is a diminutive of ''kalandros'', the calandra lark, and ''brachydactila'' ...
)
*
IX. La bouscarle(The
Cetti's warbler
Cetti's warbler (''Cettia cetti'') is a small, brown bush-warbler which breeds in southern and central Europe, northwest Africa and the east Palearctic as far as Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan. The sexes are alike. The bird is named after ...
)
**Sixth Book
*
X. Le merle de roche part 1(The
Common rock thrush
The common rock thrush (''Monticola saxatilis''), also known as rufous-tailed rock thrush or simply rock thrush, is a chat belonging to the family Muscicapidae. It was formerly placed in the family Turdidae. The scientific name is from Latin. ...
)
*
X. Le merle de roche part 2**Seventh Book
*
XI. La buse variable(The
Common buzzard
The common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') is a medium-to-large bird of prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles ...
)
*
XII. La traquet rieur(The
Black wheatear)
*
XIII. Le courlis cendré(The
Eurasian curlew
The Eurasian curlew or common curlew (''Numenius arquata'') is a very large wader in the family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia. In Europe, this species is often referred ...
)
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Catalogue d'oiseaux
Catalogue d'oiseaux
Catalogue d'oiseaux
Music about birds