Messiaen Préludes

I. La colombe
II. Chant d'extase dans un paysage triste
III. Le nombre léger
IV. Instants défunts
V. Les sons impalpables du rêve
VI. Cloches d'angoisse et larmes d'adieu
VII. Plainte calme
VIII. Un reflet dans le vent

In 1929, Olivier Messiaen finished composing his Préludes. The first original work for piano of a twenty-one-year-old composer, it would be the first to be included in his official catalogue. This collection of Messiaen’s, an early work, written as a tribute to his mother, who died prematurely in 1927, offers a unique insight into his writing: a poetic universe coloured by a spatial concept of sound, a refined and sensual sense of legato, and a subtle, understated way with rhythm: these are the many beacons that will guide us in our approach. Messiaen, a true synesthete, associates different colours to each of his preludes.

Introduction and notes on interpretation in French and English by Edmond Lemaître.- New engraving.