Adaption of Saint Francis' writings and verses from the New Testament in Olivier Messiaen's opera Saint Francis of Assisi: Franciscan Scenes

This article examines the adaptation of Saint Francis' didactic works On True and Perfect Joy and Salutation of the Virtues in Olivier Messiaen's opera Saint François d'Assise. Scènes franciscaines. The composer included paraphrases of these works in the solo part of the main character from scenes 1, 3, and 8 of the opera. Messiaen interpreted the meaning of St. Francis' poems Canticle of the Creatures and Simple Prayer in the part of St. Francis in scenes 2, 3, 5, and 8 of the opera. In the parts of the invisible and visible choir, which perform various dramatic functions in scenes 1, 3, 5, 7, and 8 of the opera, the composer expressed the meaning of selected verses from the Holy Scriptures (New Testament), as well as verses from Psalm 141. Comparing the content of the paraphrased texts of Saint Francis of Assisi and the verses of the Holy Scriptures, the author of the article reveals the embodiment of the concept of Franciscan spirituality in Messiaen's work i. e. Messiaen's theological understanding of the foundations of the universe, the symphonic interpretation of Christian truth by the composer, and the affirmation of the spiritual substance of music that brings man to God. The article traces the vocal and symphonic embodiment of the Christian paradigm of “death-immortality” in Messiaen's opera. The author analyzes paraphrases of New Testament verses and St. Francis’ writings to identify the common spiritual meaning of the texts that Olivier Messiaen interpreted in his opera. As a musicologist, the author examines de visu the full score and piano and vocal score of Scènes franciscaines in order to reveal the composer's unique interpretation of St. Francis’ writings and the Gospel texts. Messiaen uses paraphrasing to convey the meaning of Saint Francis' didactic and poetic writings and verses of the Holy Scriptures. He notes the common spiritual meaning in the selected texts. By interpreting the meaning of the laud Salutation of the Virtues in the part of the main character (Scene 8), Messiaen discovered the saint's desire to free man "from the prison of vice and sin". In the final scene, Messiaen conveys the meaning of an episode from the last chapter of the Gospel of Luke and shows the relationship of Minorites to St. Francis as a mirror image of the apostles' relationship to Christ. In the third scene of the opera, Messiaen interprets St. Francis' poem Simple Prayer and verses from the New Testament that show a miraculous healing of a leper through the prayer of Father Francis. The manifestation of love for the leper becomes a new spiritual experience for the main character of the opera i.e. the result of a revelation of God's love for man. St. Francis' understanding of the mystery of God's love for the created world and man is reflected in the poem Canticle of the Creatures.