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Chapter 11 - Ressourcement Theology in the Interwar Works of Olivier Messiaen

from Part II - Messiaen and Theology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 November 2023

By
Elizabeth McLain
Edited by
Robert Sholl
Robert Sholl
Affiliation:
Royal Academy of Music and University of West London
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Summary

Messiaen distinguished himself from other interwar French Catholic composers musically and theologically; whereas their neoclassical style was Neo-Thomist, Messiaen’s aesthetic language reflected the emerging ressourcement movement. To combat the modern crisis of faith, ressourcement theologians returned to the Bible and the Church Fathers to revitalize Christianity. This chapter demonstrates Messiaen’s engagement with ressourcement thought, from Catholic Revival#–inspired song cycles to the instrumental works’ spiritual texts. In his selection, editing, and recombination of biblical and liturgical citations, Messiaen embodied the ressourcement ethos: returning to the source of faith to transform the contemporary world.

Keywords

ressourcement theologyNeo-ThomismCongar
Type
Chapter
Information
Messiaen in Context , pp. 95 - 102
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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