Olivier Messiaen

Olivier Messiaen in 1986

Olivier Messiaen (December 10, 1908 – April 27, 1992) was a French composer, organist, ornithologist, and composer.

Quotes

• Music is motion from nonrest to rest.

Quotes about Messiaen

• I find him interesting, especially when played by Yvonne Loriod. The works of his I've heard often start magnificantly, but their initial promise is never realized, and you get these sugar-water climaxes that I can't stand. Splendid ideas, then suddenly Gershwin, cloying sweetness! Having said that, I like Gershwin a lot. He's excellent in his own field, and less sentimental than Messiaen.
  • Sviatoslav Richter, in Bruno Monsaingeon, Sviatoslav Richter: Notebooks and Conversations