An uncharted island: searching for experimentation in Olivier Messiaen’s Île de feu 1

© 2013 David John TieriThis thesis offers a detailed examination of Olivier Messiaen’s (1908-1992) short piano work Île de feu 1 from the Quatre Études de rythme (1949-1950). Though these pieces are recognised for their radical and innovative features, their representation in the existing literature is uneven, and Île de feu 1 has been relatively neglected. Since this work is usually lumped with analytical discussions of its companion pieces, it is normally assumed to be experimental by default. This study therefore proposes to examine Île de feu 1 as a work worthy of its own analytical attention. It considers the contextual position of this piece within Messiaen’s experimental period (1949-1952) and attempts to establish a connection with the innovative quasi-serialist processes that he developed during this time. The analysis adopts the theoretical framework of Messiaen’s self-described compositional procedures, endeavouring to identify in this piece such techniques as: Greek and Indian rhythmic patterns, non-retrogradable rhythms, canonic devices, and the modes of limited transposition, in addition to the influences of theology and birdsong. The results of this technical analysis suggest that Île de feu 1 is less concerned with explicit experimentation, since it only displays an abstract association with such processes and is mainly constructed with the most fundamental features of Messiaen’s musical language. The thesis concludes that Île de feu 1 is a significant point in the evolution of Messiaen’s style, exhibiting as it does those traits that were developed in his earlier pieces, and anticipating a return to these features in the works that follow the experimental period