Messiaen: Livre du Saint Sacrement

Featuring

Loi͏̈c Mallié
Olivier Messiaen

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Composition History

Olivier Messiaen composed the two-hour-long Livre du Saint Sacrement in 1984, at age 76, considering it a "moment of unwinding" after the immense workload of his opera Saint François d'Assise.

Instruments

The organ at La Trinité, originally built by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in 1869, was modified in 1965 under Messiaen's direction to add specific mutation stops he desired, such as a Quintaton 16'.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Messiaen's Livre du Saint Sacrement synthesizes elements from his earlier works, including bird calls, which are present throughout the piece, reminiscent of his opera Saint François d'Assise.

Performer Biography

Loïc Mallié, the performer on this recording, was a student of Olivier Messiaen at the Paris Conservatory and has served as an organist at La Trinité in Paris, where Messiaen himself played.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Olivier Messiaen's particular devotion to the mystery of the Eucharist is central to this work, a theme he explored throughout his career, starting with early pieces like O sacrum convivium and Le Banquet céleste.

Interpretation

While Messiaen's indicated registrations for his organ works are unique to the La Trinité organ, the performer Loïc Mallié emphasizes that the spirit of these registrations should always be maintained when playing on other instruments.

Instruments

The organ at La Trinité in Paris, where Messiaen was titular organist from 1931 to 1992, was considered by him "a little bit like a son" and was the instrument for which he composed his organ music.