Radio 2 Celebrates Olivier Messiaen

French composer Olivier Messiaen is not known the way, say, his contemporaries Benjamin Britten or Aaron Copland are. But to musicians and composers and close listeners of 20th century music his impact and influence is astounding. And the excitement over celebrations connected to his 100th birthday are too -- just google Messiaen centenary to get an idea. Or better still, listen to Radio 2 on Sunday, when much of the programming is devoted to his music.

Messiaen had what the folks at the Messiaen 2008 website describe as "an original and unique style which included innovations in harmony and melody." Very true. But for many of us, one of the most delightful aspects of the music was his interest in birdsong, which he transcribed and incorporated into his own music. Stay tuned to the Radio 2 Blog for more on a Messiaen Birdsong Contest -- coming up tomorrow. But for now, here's the array of Messiaen music/documentary/conversation you can hear this weekend:

Let's see, we'll do this more or less in order:

The Signal (10 p.m.) kicks things off on Saturday, December 6th, with Simon Docking’s performance of Catalog D'Oiseaux. Then on Sunday, they premiere a commission -- electronic artist Blunderspublik remixed some of Simon Docking's performance of that same work.

In the second hour of Choral Concert (Sunday 8:00 a.m.) host Peter Togni plays Messiaen's music and shares some of his own personal reminiscences.

On Inside The Music (Sunday Edition 12:00 p.m., 12:30 NT), Robert Harris' new documentary, Messiaen: The Colours of a Soul, an hour-long look at "the meaning of the music and life of Messiaen." You'll hear Messiaen's music, reminiscences of those who knew him, his own writings, and the observations of critics, former students, and musicologists.

Sunday Afternoon In Concert (Sunday 1:00 p.m., 1:30 NT) presents French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard performing Eight Preludes, under the aegis of the Vancouver Recital Society. Messiaen's Quartet For The End Of Time was premiered by the composer and his fellow inmates at a POW camp, and is heard in a concert from the Banff Centre. From Ottawa, pianist Louise Bessette and friends perform keyboard pieces, including four unpublished works for the unusual combination of piano and ondes martenot (that marvellous electronic instrument which also figures prominently in Messiaen's massive Turangalila Symphony -- heard in a performance by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from its New Creations festival). Also, host Bill Richardson chats with British pianist Peter Hill, a former student of Messiaen and the author of an extensive biography of the composer.

And before wrapping up this post, here's a thought about Messiaen from one of the musicians you can hear performing Messiaen's music on Sunday Afternoon In Concert, pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard.

"For me, there are three pleasures in [Messiaen’s] music. The first is the joy of sound - how he makes the instrument ring and opens up your ears. The second is the way he invents these amazingly precise and very radical musical gestures. In that way, he reminds me of Beethoven. And the third thing is the phenomenal energy that just carries you along from one moment to the next."

With thanks to Boston University's Messiaen Project.