The ideas of Christianity in the mirror of the "poem" by Fr. Messiaen "St. Francis of Assisi. Franciscan scenes"

Considering the semantic space of Franciscan spirituality in “Saint Francis of Assisi. Franciscan Scenes” by Messiaen, the author of the article looks into a modern interpretation of Christian ideas that are relevant to St. Francis’ life and work. The author analyzes symbolic images and fundamental ideas pertaining to high scholastic period and more precisely, the way those ideas reflect in the concept of Messiaen’s ‘poem’. The meaning of some hagiographic texts touching upon the life and work of St. Francis has been found out in the poem, as well as a few theological ideas of modern thinkers, namely Claudel, Guardini, Teilhard de Chardin, Balthasar. It is also noteworthy to point out some semantic coincidences and differences of interpreting the ideas of Catholicism in Claudel's mystery “The Tidings brought to Mary” and in Messiaen's poem. For the first time, the method of hermeneutic reconstruction has been applied to interpreting Messiaen’s intent as to the concept of his work. Discerning the ideas of high scholastics depicted in his poem leads to creating a new idea of Franciscan spirituality. Moreover, similarities and differences in the interpretation of Catholic ideas have been unprecedentedly revealed in P. Claudel's mystery “The Tidings brought to Mary” and Messiaen's “Franciscan Scenes”. Messiaen captures examples of St. Francis’ spiritual exploits and his evangelical life and death by paraphrasing philosophical and poetic writings which date back to the last years before the saint's demise: “The Canticle of the Creatures,” “The Canticle to Brother Sun,” “A Salutation to the Virtues”, and “On true and perfect Joy”. Through an artistic lens Messiaen looks at such Chistian ideas as revelation; a relationship between man, the world and God; predestination / providence; “illumination”; death and resurrection of the dead’ divine truth; “all things are good”; true and perfect joy.

scholastic, poem, Messiaen, St. Francis of Assisi, illumination, revelation, predestination, Christianity, libretto, Catholicism