The central movement of Messiaen’s La nativité du Seigneur, titled “Les enfants de Dieu,” contains a previously undiscovered paraphrase of the “Liebestod” from Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. Musically, certain melodic dyads and most of the harmonic progressions of the “Liebestod” are incorporated into “Les enfants”; furthermore, both share similar uses of harmonies and particular rhythmic gestures. Other surface features also support the idea of a “Liebestod” paraphrase, such as their shared key signature. This incorporation of pre-existing musical material is best described as a Lisztian paraphrase, as the passage still sounds more like Messiaen than Wagner, though its structure is clearly based on that of the “Liebestod.” With regards to meaning, the chorale-like “Liebestod” paraphrase seems to represent the verse from Galatians: “And God sent into their hearts the spirit of his Son, who cried, Father, Father,” a reading also supported by Messiaen’s preface to the work. Thus Tristan and Isolde, as children of God, will fulfill their love in death, as Christ’s love for humankind was fulfilled. Instead of a completely programmatic musical depiction of the nativity, Messiaen invokes its full redemptive powers, which is only explicit if the reference to the “Liebestod” is made apparent.

Works: Messiaen: “Les enfants de Dieu” from La nativité du Seigneur (19-25).

Sources: Wagner: Tristan und Isolde (19-23, 25).

Index Classifications: 1900s

Contributed by: Chelsea Hamm