Messiaen and the Tristan Myth

The author is a fierce critic of the current narrow empirical approach to the study of Messiaen’s music which he considers ignores the value of its original meaning and philosophical significance for us today. This exciting, wide-ranging exploration of Messiaen’s Tristan trilogy is characterized by the author’s special empathy for Messiaen and his music. In looking at Harawi, Turangalila and Cinq Rechants alongside other composer’s works and the literature of the medieval Tristan myth, Jeremy Travell is able to clarify Messiaen’s original meaning and significance for us today. Jeremy Travell, musician and critic, sheds a whole new light on this fascinating subject.