Aspects of harmony in Messiaen's later music: An examination of the chords of transposed inversions on the same bass note

Messiaen's approach to harmony in his later music can be studied by examining his use of the chords of transposed inversions on the same bass note, thereby linking the construction of the chords of transposed inversions to Messiaen's concept of natural resonance. Although the chords of transposed inversions can be understood in different ways, their most revealing interpretation is as triadically based harmonies enhanced by resonance elements based on the color associations suggested in Messiaen's synesthesia. How the chords of transposed inversions are used in musical passages is also revealing, especially in relation to the modes of limited transposition.