Messiaen And The Birds [Drama On 3]

Poet Michael Symmons Roberts goes on a creative pilgrimage to get to the heart of Olivier Messiaen's obsession with birdsong, creating an imaginative sonic journey through drama, poetry and Messiaen's music.

One of Messiaen's main inspirations was the early, pioneering sound recordist and specialist in birdsong Ludwig Koch. Messiaen transcribed many of Koch's recordings for work, but he also listened to birds in the streets of Paris, the wild birds in the parks and nearby forests, and the exotic birds in the bird market and the aviary in the zoological gardens. Increasingly Messiaen wanted to see the birds in their own habitat and so, together with his second wife the pianist Yvonne Loriod, he travelled the world to listen to and record birds. For Messiaen, birds were more than a purely musical interest. His mystical experiences led him to believe that birds - alone of all creation - had escaped the Fall, so when he heard birdsong he was hearing the unaltered music of the garden of Eden.

Michael travels to Paris to retrace Messiaen's steps and to see the famous 'Cahiers de notations des chants d'oiseaux' - the birdsong notebooks held in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in order to understand his own obsession with Messiaen.

Olivier Messiaen.....Andonis Anthony

Yvonne Loriod.....Rosalie Craig

Gerygone.....Julie Hesmondhalgh

Paul Dukas/ Jean Bachmann.....David Seddon

with special thanks to Marie-Gabrielle Soret, Thomas Lacote, Isabelle Kermet and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

Written by Michael Symmons Roberts

Produced and Directed by Nadia Molinari

Technical Production and Sound Design by Sharon Hughes

Assistant Technical Producer: Amy Brennan

Production Co-ordinator: Pippa Day

BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 3

Poet Michael Symmons Roberts explores composer Olivier Messiaen's obsession with birdsong.

Poet Michael Symmons Roberts gets to the heart of composer Olivier Messiaen's obsession with birdsong in this imaginative sonic trip through drama, music and poetry.

New drama for BBC Radio 3

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