St. Francis, Set to Music

A major festival explores an important composer. Philippe Sly in the title role of Messiaen’s 'Saint François d’Assise,' Salzburg Festival, August 2026. (Photo via SF/Monika Rittershaus) Turn any article into a podcast. Upgrade now to start listening. Members can share articles with friends & family to bypass the paywall. SALZBURG, Austria—Every summer, the Salzburg Festival offers a variety of music, and often there is a festival-within-a-festival. This year, the festival has paid tribute to the music of Olivier Messiaen, the Frenchman who lived from 1908 to 1992. But why this year? It is not a “Messiaen year,” i.e., a year that marks a major anniversary either of that composer’s birth or of his death. Jay Nordlinger is a senior resident fellow at the Renew Democracy Initiative and a contributor to its publication, The Next Move. He is the music critic of The New Criterion. He can also be found on Substack at Onward and Upward. More From Jay Nordlinger