By his work, Olivier Messiaen is undoubtedly the French musician who the most counted on the level made up music after the Second world war. In this year 2008, one commemorates the centenary of his birth. But this man, whose homage is during this year very impressive: several hundreds in concerts organized by prestigious orchestras: Radio France, Philharmonic of Berlin, the American full orchestras (Los Angeles, San Francisco) or the Philharmonic one of Vienna was also a man of quality which had found in our commune a local richness: Nature in a pure state.

Olivier Messiaen said ornithologist as much as type-setter. And even perhaps more an admiror of birds in love with the notes. At beginning of the year 80, Olivier Messiaen resides in the apartment of his wife Yvonne Loriod, who was the first and the principal interpreter of her works for piano, at 230 rue Marcadet in Paris. Its only inspirations, apart from the Christian religion, are the pigeons of the municipal parks. The constant noise being too oppressive, it decides to seek a house, in an area which it knows already: The Sologne. Indeed, wood, the landscapes and the birds of this area had already inspired it during the composition of “Rousserolle reed warbler” drawn from the Catalogue from birds.

It is thus in June 1981 qu ' it acquired of a property in our village, it moves on October 26 of the same year there. The presence with Vouzeron of this large musician type-setter and man of faith was very discrete. One could possibly see it in the religious celebrations, but Vouzeron especially was for him a place of studies, meditation, communion with nature. He liked to share these moments of discovered and of happiness with his wife, Yvonne Loriod, One thinks thus that Olivier Messiaen retranscribed in several of his compositions the songs of birds which he perceived in the garden of his property. In an unquestionable way, it is known that it composed during the summer 1985 “the small drafts of birds” by traversing the many ways of our commune and by listening to the various cries of birds. For Olivier Messiaen: “In the artistic hierarchy, the birds are the largest musicians who exist on our planet.” .

It remained regularly in its house, and received some friends like Abbot BODINEAU, prisoner of war like him in 1941 in Germany with Stalag VIII-A and priest of a common neighbor or the sculptor Joseph Pyrz… But the existence of this residence will remain its secret garden and few people were invited there. For this reason and to preserve the spirit which still lives this place, we will not mention his localization in the village, nor even its name.

From 1988, its health is degraded. In July 1988, it is victim of giddinesses and will have to follow examinations to the Hospital of Vierzon. Its stays in our village then are spaced but there will remain faithful to our area and that until its death in 1992.

In 1995, Yvonne LORIOD decides to separate from this house. The product of this sale allowing him to launch the foundation Olivier MESSIAEN.

In 1996, on the initiative of the Bodineau abbot and with the support of the Town hall of Neuvy on Barangeon and mainly of Mrs. grataroli, the artist Mr. Pyrz carved a work with the memory of this type-setter. This monument is thus resulting from an agreement tripartite: The Bodineau abbot acquiring of the stone, the artist Jozef Pyrz the creation of the sculpture and finally the town hall giving the responsability itself to provide the base and lightings. This realization is visible in front of the church of Neuvy/Barangeon, place where Olivier Messiaen was going regularly to collect himself.

It is not a question of the only trace of the passage of Olivier Messiaen in our area. Indeed, Mrs. Yvonne Loriod made gift also at the music school of Vierzon of a statue out of wooden representing Saint François d' Assise and ordered by Olivier MESSIAEN for her Opera of the same title (presented to the public in 1983 at the Palais Garnier in Paris). The ordering of this statue also carried out by Josef Pyrz in 1982, made it possible to the sculptor to be made known and thanks to Olivier Messiaen of being able to live correctly of its work of artist.

But they is especially the noises of Nature, the birds, the friction of the branches that Olivier Messiaen appreciated. A simple quotation of him is enough to summarize what it found in our area and which invites you to discover:

“Nature, treasure inexhaustible of the colors and the sounds, the forms and the rates/rhythms, unequalled model of total development and perpetual variation, Nature is the supreme resource!”

For more information and a more complete biography, you can consult the following sites:

http://www.messiaen2008.com

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivier_Messiaen

In English:

http://www.oliviermessiaen.org

http://www.oliviermessiaen.net