{"id":{"repo_id":"duquesne","oai_identifier":"oai:dsc.duq.edu:etd-2203"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/duquesne/oai:dsc.duq.edu:etd-2203","repository":{"repo_id":"duquesne","name":"Duquesne","base_url":"https://dsc.duq.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Understanding the Organ Music of Olivier Messiaen: Optical Illusions Versus Aural Realities","abstract":"In this thesis, I examine the organ music of Olivier Messiaen both from the viewpoint of a theorist and as an organist. I assert that not only his influences, but also his in-depth understandings of the mutations stops of the organ and what pitches are produced by using these stops inform Messiaen's music. Furthermore, the organ music requires more than mere visual inspection, but must be aurally experienced because of the registration requirements placed in the score by Messiaen. The utilization of mutations often does not produce concert pitch, but other pitches absent in the score. To demonstrate this I provide numerous musical examples throughout this document. Furthermore, I assert that Messiaen's deliberate use of mutation stops is a part of his musical and harmonic language often overlooked as colorful or mere tone painting.","abstract_html":"In this thesis, I examine the organ music of Olivier Messiaen both from the viewpoint of a theorist and as an organist. I assert that not only his influences, but also his in-depth understandings of the mutations stops of the organ and what pitches are produced by using these stops inform Messiaen's music. Furthermore, the organ music requires more than mere visual inspection, but must be aurally experienced because of the registration requirements placed in the score by Messiaen. The utilization of mutations often does not produce concert pitch, but other pitches absent in the score. To demonstrate this I provide numerous musical examples throughout this document. Furthermore, I assert that Messiaen's deliberate use of mutation stops is a part of his musical and harmonic language often overlooked as colorful or mere tone painting.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Shinew, Krista"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MM","degree_level":"Immediate Access","degree_discipline":"Music Theory","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Robert Shankovich","Ann Labounsky","Judith Bowman"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2004,"date_issued":"2004-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2004-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:10:29Z","subjects":["Messiaen's organ music","Messiaen's tonal language","organ registration","overtone series and organ registration","registration in Messiaen","registration in theory"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1187","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Robert Shankovich","Ann Labounsky","Judith Bowman"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Shinew, Krista"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2018-08-03T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Music Theory"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Immediate Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MM"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Messiaen's organ music","Messiaen's tonal language","organ registration","overtone series and organ registration","registration in Messiaen","registration in theory"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1187"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In this thesis, I examine the organ music of Olivier Messiaen both from the viewpoint of a theorist and as an organist. I assert that not only his influences, but also his in-depth understandings of the mutations stops of the organ and what pitches are produced by using these stops inform Messiaen's music. Furthermore, the organ music requires more than mere visual inspection, but must be aurally experienced because of the registration requirements placed in the score by Messiaen. The utilization of mutations often does not produce concert pitch, but other pitches absent in the score. To demonstrate this I provide numerous musical examples throughout this document. Furthermore, I assert that Messiaen's deliberate use of mutation stops is a part of his musical and harmonic language often overlooked as colorful or mere tone painting."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Understanding the Organ Music of Olivier Messiaen: Optical Illusions Versus Aural Realities"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Robert Shankovich","Ann Labounsky","Judith Bowman"],"dc:creator":["Shinew, Krista"],"dc:date.available":["2018-08-03T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["In this thesis, I examine the organ music of Olivier Messiaen both from the viewpoint of a theorist and as an organist. I assert that not only his influences, but also his in-depth understandings of the mutations stops of the organ and what pitches are produced by using these stops inform Messiaen's music. Furthermore, the organ music requires more than mere visual inspection, but must be aurally experienced because of the registration requirements placed in the score by Messiaen. The utilization of mutations often does not produce concert pitch, but other pitches absent in the score. To demonstrate this I provide numerous musical examples throughout this document. Furthermore, I assert that Messiaen's deliberate use of mutation stops is a part of his musical and harmonic language often overlooked as colorful or mere tone painting."],"dc:identifier":["https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1187"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:subject":["Messiaen's organ music","Messiaen's tonal language","organ registration","overtone series and organ registration","registration in Messiaen","registration in theory"],"dc:title":["Understanding the Organ Music of Olivier Messiaen: Optical Illusions Versus Aural Realities"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Music Theory"],"thesis:degree_level":["Immediate Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["MM"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:10:29Z"}