The Feast of the Transfiguration on August 6 may often be neglected due to its ferial position. We therefore propose a musical listening that gives resonance to the celebration. The experience of Tabor can help us to lean out the quality of contemporary music, because it introduces us into an experience of beauty, of metamorphosis, of revelation. Is it not ours a time of great change? Don’t we fell bound to live it with a metamorphosis even of our listening? Often we were never introduced and trained to face the music "educated" today, because of many prejudices, little knowledge and reasonless allergy to languages ​​that go beyond what is already known, the commercial and the immediately catchy. Since the contemporary musical research is inhabited so densely by a varied confrontation both with the religious experience and outright with the Christian message, we offer the risk/chance to listen to The Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ (1969) by Olivier Messiaen (Avignon 1908-Paris 1992).

Musical kaleidoscope of Grace

    Olivier Messiaen: Catholic genius of the Twentieth Century. Catholic faith, but also for the ability to a live a listening "according to the whole" of reality (katà-olon, Catholic). A hospitable man in all the blasts of the Spirit. By an interest in medieval music and Gregorian chant to the study of birdsong. From the modal music of the avant-garde musical language. From the Summa of Thomas to the creation of a theology of contemporary music. From the composition to the development of its own musical aesthetics. From scores to their detailed explanations. Tones and dissonance. Sounds and colors. Music and light. Eye and ear Synesthesia: relationship, relationship, unity. Grace.

    He writes: "The music is, in effect, a perpetual dialogue between space and time, between sound and color, dialog that comes up on a syntesis:  time is a space, the sound is a color, space is a complex of overlapping schedules, the complexes of sounds simultaneously exist as complexes of colors. The musician who thinks, sees, hears, speaks through these basics rudiments can, in moderation, approach to beyond. This is perhaps the sense of meaning and even the directional sense of music".

The Transfiguration: listening to light

   The composition of La Transfiguration occupied Messiaen from 1965 to 1969. This is a work of crystalline architecture with 14 movements divided into two seven-syllable. It is a composition for mixed chorus, orchestra and seven (again) solo instruments: flute, clarinet, vibraphone, xylomarimba, marimba, cello and piano. The duration is approximately two hours. The two seven-syllable are identical and therefore each piece send again to its reflection. Through this combination  the listener may experience a passage/shift, a deepening of the mystery that resonates. The lyrics are all sung in Latin. Those in the first seven-syllable are drawn primarily from the Bible, while in the second we find citations from the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas and other texts from the liturgy of the feast. We have a mixture of Scripture and theology, storytelling, reflection and celebration. This explains the longer duration of the second septenary. The distribution of the Gospel narrative (Mt 17.1 to 9) divided into four staging between the rise and the light in the first septenary (1-3) and the theophany and down in seconds (8-11).

    The mirrors’game of the two septenary is meant to represent the Gospel scene of Christ transfigured between Moses and Elijah. The musicality of Moses is impressive, while that of Elijah is light. The chorales that conclude the first and second septenary meet these tones: the first (7) pianissimo, as the "gentle breeze", the second (14) a fortissimo, with "earthquake." As with all of his compositions in this case Messiaen expresses all his choices. We offer a quick look at individual scores, highlighting the author's notes.

First septenary: the rise and light

     1. Assumpsit Petrum Jesus, et Jacobum, text 17.1 to 2 Mt. "Rhythmic introduction by metal percussion. The Gospel passage is rendered by a recitative with a slowdown and vocalise the words transfiguratus est."

2. Configuratum corpori claritatis suae, two texts, Phil 3.20 to 21, and Pr 7.26 and  Candor lucis aeterne, which returns three times in the first septenary (2,5,6). "He takes the idea of ​​light. When Christ will shine with light, we will be resurrected as soon as we light irradiation. The sound of an African bird joyfully proclaims that the tenor interprets in the text expectamus."

3. Christus Jesus, splendor Patris, the text of Ps 77.19. "The idea of ​​light keeps, even if it is a superior form of light: a symbol of something. Your light illuminates the world. [...] A huge number of agreements proclaims the majesty of Christ, the revelation of the Father's person. The song of the owl expresses reverence."

4. Et ecce apparuerunt continues the story,  Mt 17.3 to 4. "Rythmic introduction of the gospel with a recitative."

5. Quam dilecta tabernacula  tua, with the Sal 84.2 to 4 and again Pr 7.26 (2). "Lord - said the apostle Peter - it's nice for us to be here." Psalm 84 says: "How lovely is your dwelling place ... and thine altars, o Lord God of Hosts." Female vocals are light and sweet, while the choir is more fiery and intense. There are modal colors: gold and purple, red and violet, gray / blue mixed with gold and dark blue, green and orange, blue and gold, yellow and purple with gold and white stripes ... The cello alone expresses the intensity of the eternal light. The piano adds the voice of an American bird, the soloist makes us listen to a bird mount. In the end, the chorus humming melodies with red and gold: a magic carpet of sound, pianissimo as a great distance, at night with the first song of the nightingale expressed by the piano."

6. Candor est lucis aeterne reproduces the text of Proverbs of the second song. "Splendor of eternal light sung by female voices. These are the words of the Book of Wisdom applied to the Son incarnate and transfigured. Is contrasted by a song of bird, very intense and colorful harmonies. Gradually there is a transformation of a deçî-tâla, a rhythm of eastern India, which means an increase and decrease."

7. In monte sancto eius gives music to the Psalm 48.2. "This psalm proclaims the greatness and beauty of our Lord transfigured on the mountain. A choral extremely slow. While the fourteenth song will end fortissimo, this seventh concludes the first septenary pianissimo."

Second septenary: theophany and descent

    8. Hic est Filius meus  (Mt 17.5). "Rhythmic introduction with variations. The Gospel narration continues as recitative. The luminous cloud is represented by the gloss of the strings in various heights and rhythms. The voice from the clouds is accompanied by different colors, string trills with colors that move with different speeds. The tinkling of the triangle and cymbals along with the harmonics of the arches emphasize the flicker of light.”

   9. Perfecte conscius Illius perfectae generationis proposed a text of the Summa Theologica (III, 45,4). "It illustrates the idea of ​​divine generation. Beginning at baptism and fulfillment after the resurrection in the state of the glorious body. But it is only the image of the divine generation, the Son from the Father. The complete generation has known only from the Father, the Son and the Spirit. The growing short and irregular rhythms of cymbals and gongs, trombones, the roller and the low voices express the greatness and depth of the mystery. There is a great song of birds of various species. An acute chorus whose melodies have colors ranging from green stripes and blue diamond, emerald, purple, spotted with red and gold, while dominated by patches of orange and white milk. Overlaps a great rhythmic layering in the rhythm of the chorus with three different ways by the rhythm section. There is a tremendous unison. In the second room there is a further strengthening of these elements. The last unison singing the words perfectae generationis explodes."

    10. Adoptionem filiorum perfectam gives music to the liturgical prayer of the feast. "Even the idea of ​​divine generation. Now it is the condition of adopted children. The beginning uses a change of notes with a melody from the instrumental colors, where the cello plays a leading role. There is a long cadenza in which the rhythms of the drums are mixed with the bird songs and voices. Some sopranos and tenors sing pianissimo alleluia."

    11. And audientes discipuli continues with Mt from 17.6 to 9. "Introduction with recitative and rhythmic vocalization."

    12. Terribilis est locus iste combines five texts: Ps 104.2; Summa III, 45,2,3, Luke 2.14, Pr 7.26 yet and Gen 28.17. 'We look at the glaciers I understood the difference between the weak pallor of snow and the extraordinary radiation of the sun and I could imagine how amazing the place where the transfiguration accomplished. Ecstasy is reflected in the notes of the trombone, and sets of jingles. The light from above appears in the woodwind and brass chords that immediately come to a pianissimo in harmony with fiddles: we are immersed in the supernatural light with pizzicato of cellos and colors of the piano, bells and rattles. A vocalization with twenty modulations flows in terribilis final word.”

    13. Tota Trinitas apparuit has four texts: Ps 43.3; the hymn of the feast, the beginning of the Preface of the Feast, the Summa III, 45,4,2. "This is the most comprehensive piece. The same solemn music represents all that is in heaven: the mountains, the majesty of God, the voice of the Father, the Son of man and God, the holiness of the Spirit."

   14. Domine, Dilexi decorem domus tuae with Ps 26.8. "Song extremely slow. There is a fortissimo of the full orchestra and choir. This is the final chorale and the text of the psalm expresses reverence for the mountain of transfiguration, the honor present in the sacraments of the church, the honor that endures forever."

The art of mystagogy

    This music needs a prepared context to meet it deeply. It would take a well-cured environment, a wise management of lighting and hospitality of the people. An old church with beautiful stained glass windows and listening at the maximum of sunlight would be a choice of Messiaen himself. You will need to provide a subsidy with the texts and translation, and an introduction to the world and the work of Messiaen. The reproduction’s quality should be high because we have very special sound. The size and architecture of the piece lends itself to partial listening, for example in a context of prayer, lectio divina, or a vigil. You can start or from commented music  as a source for meditating on the mystery, or from the Gospel text, annotated and then re-heard in the musical exegesis. To help you hear is always helpful to bring some pictures too. In addition to a depiction of the Transfiguration (Fra Angelico, Raphael, G. Bellini), the abstract art of the Twentieth Century is very similar to this musical research. Paints such as those of W. Kandinsky, P. Klee, M. Malevich are not out of place for their aesthetic impact, and another dip in the art of our time, the only one that is given us to listen, contemplate and simultaneously transform in its flowing.