To coincide with Messiaen’s 100th anniversary DG presents this recording of rarely heard spiritual works of the beloved French composer. Religiosity and Catholicism have been important sources of inspiration for Olivier Messiaen throughout his artistic life and form the key aspect of the repertoire selected for this album
The Trois Petites Liturgies for piano, ondes martenot, choir and orchestra were premiered in occupied Paris in 1943, and received highest praise by Jean Cocteau, Francis Poulenc and Arthur Honegger among others – with the aim of bringing “a kind of organized act of praise into the concert room” Messiaen achieved one of his most colourful and enduring works up to that point – he himself described the music as “nothing but an act of love”. With Hymne au Saint-Sacrement of 1932 and Couleurs de la Cité Céleste the album forms a triplet of rarely heard religious music by one of the predominant French composers of the 20th century.
Myung-Whun Chung is known as one of todays most accomplished conductors when it comes to the works of Olivier Messiaen; most notably in 1994 he gave the world première performance of Messiaen’s Concert à quatre, which was dedicated to Chung by the composer. Chung has produced a strong back-catalogue of Messiaen recordings on DG with almost each and every recording garnering international awards, including a Grammy in 1995.

“[the Trois petites liturgies] shows the composer at his most imaginative and most haunting, and it is given an inspired performance and superb recording, appropriately in Radio France Salle Olivier Messiaen.” The Penguin Guide to Recorded Classical Music