Messiaen

American

[mes-yahn] / mɛsˈyɑ̃ /

noun

Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles 1908–92, French composer and organist.

Messiaen British

/ mɛsjɑ̃ /

noun

Olivier (ɔlivje). 1908–92, French composer and organist. His music is distinguished by its rhythmic intricacy; he was influenced by Hindu and Greek rhythms and bird song

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And then there were moments of “11,000 Strings” that sounded like the musical aviaries of Olivier Messiaen emanating from a far away lath house.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 6, 2025

In the late ’50s, Jones relocated to Paris, where he studied composition with the highly regarded teacher Nadia Boulanger and composer Olivier Messiaen.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 4, 2024

Messiaen here began his development of a spectacular new musical language for a picture of ecstatic love that transcends death.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 29, 2024

At the heart of the evening was a trio of suites that followed a basic construction: a Messiaen piano solo, a Chopin Nocturne and a fragmentary reprise of the Messiaen.

From New York Times • May 25, 2023

To keep things on a cosmic scale, Messiaen musters a solo piano part of concerto-level difficulty and variety.

From New York Times • Mar. 19, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023