The Influence of Balinese Gamelan on the Music of Olivier Messiaen

Olivier Messiaen gave many interviews throughout his life, in which he revealed the influence of many foreign cultures. However, the only time he mentioned the influence of the Balinese gamelan was in the sleeve note of an RCA recording of the Turangalila-Symphonie played by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra conducted by Seiji Ozawa. Although his connection to Balinese gamelan seems tenuous, Messiaen was nevertheless influenced strongly by this culture. He might have encountered and witnessed live performances of Balinese dance and gamelan in the 1931 Paris Colonial Exhibition, whose evocation might have influenced him in evocating the sound of Balinese music in his works.

Olivier Messiaen gave many interviews throughout his life, in which he revealed the influence of many foreign cultures.