Bruhn (musicology, U. of Michigan, and Sorbonne Institute for the Esthetics of Contemporary Arts) analyzes five cycles of vocal music written between 1936 and 1948 by Olivier Messiaen--Po癡mes
pour Mi, Chants de terre et de ciel, Trois petites Liturgies de la pr矇sence divine, Harawi: chant d'amour et de mort, and Cinq Rechants--and the Turangal�la Symphony. Focus is on how the
composer's idea of personal love relates to death and the love of God, as well as to his interpretation of the Tristan myth. She explores how Messiaen was influenced by troubadours, the Song of
Songs, and other sources, and discusses how the musical language adds to the verbal text in each piece. Annotation 穢2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
