''La Nativité du Seigneur'' (''The Nativity of the Lord'' or ''The Birth of the Saviour'') is a work for organ, written by the French composer

Olivier Messiaen Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist who was one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex; harmonically ...

in 1935. ''La Nativité du Seigneur'' is a testament to Messiaen's Christian faith, being divided into nine "meditations" inspired by the birth of Jesus. In volume one, Messiaen outlines his inspirations, both theological, instrumental and compositional. As the composer notes in his preface, he sought "the emotion and sincerity first".Messiaen, Olivier, ''La Nativité du Seigneur'', Volume One (Paris: Ludec, 1936). The work was written by the composer at the age of 27 years during the summer of 1935 while he was in residence at Grenoble near the French Alps. Messiaen wrote that in addition to theology, the movements were inspired by the mountains, as well as the

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

windows in medieval cathedrals. The work was premiered on 27 February 1936 on the organ of La Trinité, Paris, shared among three players: Jean-Yves Daniel-Lesur (1–3),

Jean Langlais Jean François-Hyacinthe Langlais III (15 February 1907 – 8 May 1991) was a French composer of modern classical music, organist, and improviser. He described himself as "" ("Breton, of Catholic faith"). Biography Langlais was born in L ...

(4–6), and

Jean-Jacques Grunenwald Jean-Jacques Charles Grunenwald, also known by his pseudonym Jean Dalve (2 February 1911 – 19 December 1982), was a French organist, composer, architect, and pedagogue. Life and work Grunenwald was born in 1911 in Cran-Gevrier, Haute-Savoie. ...

(7–9).

Movements

The work is in nine movements, each depicting an image or concept from the birth of Jesus. In publication, the work is divided over four books. #La vierge et l'enfant (The Virgin and Child) #Les bergers (The Shepherds) #Desseins éternels (Eternal designs) #Le verbe (The Word) #Les enfants de Dieu (The Children of God) #Les anges (The Angels) #Jésus accepte la souffrance (Jesus accepts suffering) #Les mages (The Magi) #Dieu parmi nous (God Among Us) The work is one of the earliest to feature elements that were to become key to Messiaen's later compositions, such as the extensive use of the composer's own modes of limited transposition, as well as influence from birdsong, and the meters and rhythms of Ancient Greek and traditional Indian music. In 1967,

Richard Franko Goldman Richard Franko Goldman (December 7, 1910 – January 19, 1980) was a conductor, educator, author, music critic, and composer. Born Richard Henry Maibrunn Goldman (Maibrunn being his mother's family name), he adopted the same middle name as his ...

wrote, "One is, indeed, tempted to say that the work is a masterpiece, and one of the great organ works of all time. It is certainly monumental and impressive, original and memorable, with or without the theoretical and mystical explanation the composer himself gives out."Goldman, Richard Franko, "Review: Simon Preston's recording of ''La Nativité du Seigneur''" in '' The Musical Quarterly'', Vol. 53, No. 2 (April 1967), pp. 290-293.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nativite du Segneur 1935 compositions Compositions by Olivier Messiaen Compositions for organ