Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Apparition de l'église éternelle, for organ, I/8
2. La Nativité du Seigneur, meditations (9) for organ, I/14: I. La Vierge et l'Enfant (The Virgin and the Child)
3. La Nativité du Seigneur, meditations (9) for organ, I/14: II. Les Bergers (The Shepherds)
4. La Nativité du Seigneur, meditations (9) for organ, I/14: III. Desseins éternels (Eternal Purposes)
5. La Nativité du Seigneur, meditations (9) for organ, I/14: IV. Le Verbe (The Word)
6. La Nativité du Seigneur, meditations (9) for organ, I/14: V. Les Enfants de Dieu (The Children of God)
7. La Nativité du Seigneur, meditations (9) for organ, I/14: VI. Les Anges (The Angels)
8. La Nativité du Seigneur, meditations (9) for organ, I/14: VII. Jésus accepte la souffrance (Jesus Accepts Suffering)
9. La Nativité du Seigneur, meditations (9) for organ, I/14: VIII. Les Mages (The Magi)
10. La Nativité du Seigneur, meditations (9) for organ, I/14: IX. Dieu parmi nous (God Among Us)

Disc 2:

1. Le banquet céleste, for organ, I/1
2. Offrande au Saint-Sacrement, for organ
3. Diptyque, for organ, I/3
4. Le Corps glorieux, brief visions (7) for organ, I/20: I. Subtilité des corps glorieux (Subtlety of the Bodies in Glory)
5. Le Corps glorieux, brief visions (7) for organ, I/20: II. Les Eaux de la grâce (The Waters of Grace)
6. Le Corps glorieux, brief visions (7) for organ, I/20: III. L'Ange aux parfums (The Angel of Incense)
7. Le Corps glorieux, brief visions (7) for organ, I/20: IV. Combat de la mort et de la vie (Combat of Death and Life)
8. Le Corps glorieux, brief visions (7) for organ, I/20: V. Force et agilité des corps glorieux (Strength and Agility of the Bodies in G
9. Le Corps glorieux, brief visions (7) for organ, I/20: VI. Joie et clarté des corps glorieux (Joy and Light of the Bodies in Glory)
10. Le Corps glorieux, brief visions (7) for organ, I/20: VII. le Mystère de la Sainte Trinité (The Mystery of the Holy Trinity)

Disc 3:

1. Méditations sur le mystère de la Sainte Trinité, for organ, I/49: I. Le Père des étoiles (The Father of the Stars)
2. Méditations sur le mystère de la Sainte Trinité, for organ, I/49: II. Dieu est saint (God is Holy)
3. Méditations sur le mystère de la Sainte Trinité, for organ, I/49: III. "La relation réelle en Dieu est réellement identique à l'essen
4. Méditations sur le mystère de la Sainte Trinité, for organ, I/49: IV. Dieu est (God is)
5. Méditations sur le mystère de la Sainte Trinité, for organ, I/49: V. Dieu est immense - Dieu est éternel - Dieu ist immuable... (God
6. Méditations sur le mystère de la Sainte Trinité, for organ, I/49: VI. "Dans le Verbe était la vie et la vie était la lumière..." (In
7. Méditations sur le mystère de la Sainte Trinité, for organ, I/49: VII. "Le Père et le Fils aiment, par le Saint-Esprit, eux-mêmes, et
8. Méditations sur le mystère de la Sainte Trinité, for organ, I/49: VIII. Dieu est simple - Les Trois sont Un (God Is Simple - The Thre
9. Méditations sur le mystère de la Sainte Trinité, for organ, I/49: IX. "Je suis Celui qui suis" ("I am who am")

Disc 4:

1. Prélude, for organ
2. Verset pour la Fête de la Dédicace, for organ, I/44
3. Monodie, for organ, I/45a
4. L' Ascension, for organ (arr. from orchestral piece), I/12b: I. Majesté du Christ demandant sa gloire à son Père (Majesty of Christ P
5. L' Ascension, for organ (arr. from orchestral piece), I/12b: II. Alléluias sereins d'une âme qui désire le ciel (Serene Alleluias fro
6. L' Ascension, for organ (arr. from orchestral piece), I/12b: III. Transports de joie d'une âme devant la gloire du Christ qui est la
7. L' Ascension, for organ (arr. from orchestral piece), I/12b: IV. Prière du Christ montant vers son Père (Prayer of Christ Ascending T
8. Messe de la Pentecôte, for organ, I/36: I. Entrée (les langues de feu) (Entry of the Priest (the Tongues of Fire))
9. Messe de la Pentecôte, for organ, I/36: II. Offertoire (les choses visibles et invisibles) (Offertory (Things Visible and Invisible))
10. Messe de la Pentecôte, for organ, I/36: III. Consécration (le don de sagesse) (Consecration (the Gift of Wisdom))
11. Messe de la Pentecôte, for organ, I/36: IV. Communion (les oiseaux et les sources) (Communion (The Birds and the Springs))
12. Messe de la Pentecôte, for organ, I/36: V. Sortie (le vent de l'Esprit) (Recessional (the Wind of the Spirit))

Disc 5:

1. Livre d'orgue, for organ, I/38: I. Reprises par interversion (Repetition by Interversion)
2. Livre d'orgue, for organ, I/38: II. Pièce en trio (pour le dimanche de la Sainte Trinité) (Trio (for Trinity Sunday))
3. Livre d'orgue, for organ, I/38: III. Les Mains de l'abîme (pour les temps de pénitence) (The Hands of the Abyss (for Times of Penit
4. Livre d'orgue, for organ, I/38: IV. Chants d'oiseaux (pour le temps pascal) (Birdsong (for Eastertide))
5. Livre d'orgue, for organ, I/38: V. Pièce en trio (pour le dimanche de la Sainte Trinité) (Trio (for Trinity Sunday))
6. Livre d'orgue, for organ, I/38: VI. Les Yeux dans les roues (pour le dimanche de la Pentecôte) (The Eyes in the Wheels (for Penteco
7. Livre d'orgue, for organ, I/38: VII. Soixante-Quatre durées (Sixty-four Durations)
8. Livre du Saint-Sacrement, for organ, I/53: I. Adoro te (I Adore Thee)
9. Livre du Saint-Sacrement, for organ, I/53: II. La Source de vie (The Source of Life)
10. Livre du Saint-Sacrement, for organ, I/53: III. Le Dieu caché (The Hidden God)
11. Livre du Saint-Sacrement, for organ, I/53: IV. Acte de foi (Act of Faith)
12. Livre du Saint-Sacrement, for organ, I/53: V. Puer natus est nobis (Unto Us a Child is Born)
13. Livre du Saint-Sacrement, for organ, I/53: VI. La Manne et le Pain de vie (Manna and the Bread of Life)

Disc 6:

1. Livre du Saint-Sacrement, for organ, I/53: VII. Les Ressuscités et la lumière de vie (The Resurrected and the Light of Life)
2. Livre du Saint-Sacrement, for organ, I/53: VIII. Institution de l'Eucharistie (Institution of the Eucharist)
3. Livre du Saint-Sacrement, for organ, I/53: IX. Les Ténèbres
4. Livre du Saint-Sacrement, for organ, I/53: X. La Résurrection du Christ
5. Livre du Saint-Sacrement, for organ, I/53: XI. L'Apparition du Christ ressuscité à Marie-Madeleine (The Risen Christ Appears to Mary
6. Livre du Saint-Sacrement, for organ, I/53: XII. La Transsubstantiation (The Transubstantiation)
7. Livre du Saint-Sacrement, for organ, I/53: XIII. Les Deux Murailles d'eau (The Two Walls of Water)
8. Livre du Saint-Sacrement, for organ, I/53: XIV. Prière avant la communion (Prayer before Communion)
9. Livre du Saint-Sacrement, for organ, I/53: XV. La Joie de la grâce (The Joy of Grace)
10. Livre du Saint-Sacrement, for organ, I/53: XVI. Prière après la communion (Prayer after Communion)
11. Livre du Saint-Sacrement, for organ, I/53: XVII. La Présence multipliée (The Presence Multiplied)
12. Livre du Saint-Sacrement, for organ, I/53: XVIII. Offrande et Alléluia final (Offering and Final Alleluia)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #81360 in Music
• Released on: 2002-10-08
• Number of discs: 6
• Format: Box set
• Dimensions: .52 pounds

Customer Reviews

slobber material!
For those of you looking for definitive recordings of the organ works then look no further. Hard to believe that Latry can usurp Messiaen's own interpretation on the "par lui-meme" box set but I think it's justified.
Firstly this complete edition includes late works like the meditations sur le mystere de la saint trinite which are not included on messiaen's set.
Secondly the recording quality is absolutely outstanding which is especially important given the rarified nature and colour sensitivity of the music. Nothing worse than listening to the celestial banquet on messiaen's set and here the tape hiss and crackle!
Thirdly Latry plays on the Notre Dame Cavaille-coll organ which is in perfect condition compared to messiaen's lacklustre St trinity. And what an organ it is, encompassing the gamut of expression: rich, deep, sweet, diaphonous, nasal, reedy and even diabolic! Probably the best organ I've heard on cd.
But the coup de gras has to be Latry's playing. His approach is very similar to Messiaen's but seems to venture even further metaphysically! The long and slow crescendi are smoother, the climaxes held for longer, the ferocious sections bitier etc. Those of you familiar with the peaks of the apparition de l'eglise eternelle or combat de la mort et de la vie from elsewhere will be agog at latry's interpretation.
If you're a newcomer to messiaen then I think his organ works are an ideal introduction to his aesthetic. This box set can take you all the way from his most accessible to abstract works.

The True Incarnation of Messian's Mystic Art
You will not find a better recording of Olivier Messiaen's organ works than this gem. Approved by a Catholic Church official in the liner notes as capturing the religious ideals that Messian sought to reveal, Latry's playing on the formidable Notre Dame Cathedral organ contains a gravity and seriousness that give a rare and divine character to the music. Latry was blessed by Messiaen himself as the best interpreter of his works, and the reason for that is evident here. The music pours fourth in a majestic tide, and Latry uses his formidable talent, the full resources of the outstanding 600-year old organ, and the natural, extra-long reverberation in the medieval cathedral to capture the mysticism that pervades Messiaen's art. This is art music of the highest caliber, and will greatly reward repeated listenings.

Essential Messiaen!
If you are a Messiaen fan, you simply must own this CD! It is essentail for a number of reasons.

For one, it is a complete recording of all of his organ works--quite an audio library, as you can see from the list of pieces included! Second is the quality of the recording (assured since this is a Deutsche Grammophon recording). It is digital, clear, and amazing. An old recording of Messiaen playing his own organ works is available, but it is a mono recording which he plays on a lackluster organ, as opposed to this recoring which is (of course) stereo, digital, and recorded on the organ at Notre Dame Cathedral--a magificent instrument that does justice to Messiaen. Also, while Messiaen is a favorite composer, his skills as an organist are not world-class as Olivier Latry's, whose playing here is masterful, inspired and technically perfect. You put all that together--excellent composer, recording, instrument, and organist--and you have "Messiaen: Complete Organ Works"... which from my first listening of it has become my favorite CD, bar none.

The reason why will be apparent to you as you listen to the very first track: "Vision of the Eternal Church." The piece is intended to invoke a musical interpretation of what it would be like to experience an apparition of the Church of God. As such, the first half is a constant build, one long crescendo, as if the vision were appearing slowing... the second half is a fading away, one long decrescendo. When Latry gets to the climax right in the middle of the piece, you'll see immidiately how all the elements come together (excellent recording, composer, instrument and artist)... it is the single most triumphant, majestically rendered chord you will ever hear. (You can almost hear the stone of the cathedral shaking, it is that magnificent!)

Latry's versatility is apparent when you hear the softer, more nuanced pieces, such as "Diptyque," which are as delicate as "Vision of the Eternal Church" is majectic. In short, most of the pieces are given a definitive interpretation by Latry.

I own every other recording of Messiaen's organ music, and this one stands far and above all of the others. If you don't know Messiaen's organ works, this CD is clearly your best bet; if you have heard his organ works before, or own other CDs, you'll smile as you listen to how Latry interprets each piece.

If I were stuck on a deserted island and could have only a handful of CDs to keep me company, this would be one of them.