Introduction and project description
Olivier Messiaen (1908-92) is one of the most significant composers of the twentieth-century yet remains one of the least discussed. The Boston University Messiaen Project was initially a three year, cross-disciplinary event dedicated to scholarly discussion and performance of Messiaen’s music and to related cultural, historical, theological issues, in an effort to raise awareness of this notable figure. Using the resources of Boston University, cooperation from organizations in the City of Boston and advances in technology, it provided a variety of musical and scholarly offerings that were of interest to a wide range of audiences. Now in its second version, the site is being prepared for a second conference in 2012 as BUMP continues its work to promote interest in Messiaen and his music.
Sponsorship
The BUMP is jointly sponsored by the School of Music, the School of Theology and CAS/GRS at Boston University in the US.
Messiaen Web site
There is currently no official web site for Messiaen and he is underrepresented on general classical music web sites. The background to the BUMP and one of its most important components is this web site dedicated to Messiaen and his music. The web site will continue as a resource beyond the initial term of BUMP but will be restricting its information exclusively to the organ works.
2006 project launch and mini-conference
Nigel Simeone and Peter Hill, authors of the acclaimed Messiaen biography (Yale, 2005) were guests at the official launch of the BUMP in September 2006.
2007 weekend conference: 'Messiaen the Theologian'
A second conference was held in the fall of 2007. This event focussed on cross-disciplinary work, especially on Messiaen’s theology, and was hosted by the School of Theology at BU. A proceedings from the conference was published by Ashgate in 2010, edited by Andrew Shenton. Details of the collection of essays entitled 'Messiaen the Theologian' can be found here
Fall 2008 centenary festival
For the entire fall semester of 2008 Boston University promoted a series of Messiaen events at the University and in the City of Boston in cooperation with many local organizations. These culminated at the actual anniversary of his birth, Wednesday December 10 with a film screening at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, coupled with a performance of his Quatuor pour la fin du temps.