Messiaen's primary musical purpose was to express 'spiritual truths of the Catholic faith,' even though his music incorporated secular and other religious influences.
Historical Context
During World War II, Messiaen was taken prisoner in a POW camp in Silesia, where he composed his famous work, Quartet for the End of Time.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in November 2010 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Greenville, North Carolina.
Composer Biography
Messiaen was appointed Organiste Titulaire of Sainte Trinité Church in Paris in 1930, a position he held until the early 1970s.
Composer Biography
Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) was admitted to the Paris Conservatory at age eleven, where he won five First Prizes.
Instruments
The Perkins & Wells Memorial Organ, built by C. B. Fisk in 2005, has 44 voices, 57 ranks, and 3,119 pipes.
Composition History
Messiaen's L'Ascension was originally an orchestral work in 1933, but he later created an organ version in 1934, replacing one movement with a completely new piece.
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