Music of colours 

« The music and the colour are intimately linked ». Thus Olivier Messiaen defined his aesthetic process. He asserts colour to be central in music, in his Treatise of composition : Treatise on rythm, Colours and Ornithology ». He explains that he fell the potential of colours since his childhood.
Messiaen confess his love for Violet : « Violet is a complex colour because it combines blue which is cold, and red which is excessively warm ».

For Messiaen, an artist who deserve recognition must shine through his sense of colour whatever the style he evolves into.
Let’s explore Mathias Grunewald polyptic’s of Issenheim and have a look on Firenze Santa Marco Convent where Fra Angelico painted his fresco : Annunciation. Messiaen admired it for its bright lights.

Then, Messaien loved to describe Monet Nympheas, as if Debussy started to paint. More over, it was Robert Delaunay who touched him deeply in his soul. Finally, Messiaen succeed in meeting the Swiss Charles Blanc Gatti who catched him with « Visions that’s turning into spiral ».

Messiaen created « the sighted listener », he even put the colours who fit to the notes on the score.

He started to perceive a « coloured music » while he was listening to Paul Dukas ‘Ariane. In his pantheon, we found Wagner who has written « sweet coloured chords », and Chopin, who has mastered « coloured changes ».
Mozart stands out because his music is always colourful. To conclude, Messiean would exclaim Debussy to be the « Best Colourist »« His whole music was coloured with love for colourful chords ».