L`ASCENSION POUR ORGUE
COMPOSER: OLIVIER MESSIAEN

FOR ORGAN
SERIES: LEDUC
PUBLISHER: ALPHONSE LEDUC
FORMAT: SOFTCOVER

DESCRIPTION:
-OLIVIER MESSIAEN (1908-1992) IS KNOWN FOR HIS UNIQUE COMPOSITION STYLE. INCORPORATING COMPLEX RHYTHMS, HARMONY AND MELODIES, THE ASCENSION FOR ORGAN IS NO EXCEPTION TO THE COMPOSER`S POPULAR, DISTINCTIVE STYLE. THE ASCENSION WAS ORIGINALLY COMPOSED FOR ORCHESTRA BY MESSIAEN IN 1932-1933. THE COMPOSER DESCRIBED THE WORK AS FOUR SYMPHONIC MEDITATIONS AND THE SECTIONS ARE; 1) MAJESTY OF CHRIST PRAYING THAT HIS FATHER SHOULD GLORIFY HIM, 2) SERENE ALLELUIAS FROM A SOUL LONGING FOR HEAVEN, 3) ALLELUIA ON THE TRUMPET, ALLELUIA ON THE CYMBAL, AND 4) PRAYER FROM CHRIST ASCENDING TOWARDS HIS FATHER. MESSIAEN ARRANGED THE ASCENSION FOR SOLO ORGAN A YEAR LATER. THE FIRST, SECOND AND FOURTH MOVEMENTS ARE ARRANGEMENTS OF THE ORCHESTRAL VERSION, HOWEVER, THE COMPOSER CREATED A NEW THIRD MOVEMENT; OUTBURST OF JOY FROM A SOUL BEFORE THE GLORY OF CHRIST, WHICH IS ITS OWN GLORY. THE ASCENSION IS ESSENTIAL TO ALL ADVANCED ORGANISTS SEEKING TO EXPAND AND VARY THEIR REPERTOIRE.