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Visions of amen: Olivier Messiaen's transcendent music

My faith is the grand drama of my life. I’m a believer, so I sing words of God to those who have no faith.”
—Olivier Messiaen

Vast as the heavens are that surround us, we seldom lift our gaze beyond the narrow boundaries of daily tasks. We know we were made only a little lower than the angels, yet we stumble along from hour to hour as if life’s highest purpose were punching a time clock and watching a favorite show. Like Prufrock, we measure out our lives in coffee spoons.

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Listening to Messiaen: Recommended recordings

Where might a new listener begin? On several recordings still in the catalog the composer himself performs or supervises a performance, including a remarkable DVD combining his own organ improvisations with a performance of the Quartet for the End of Time (Image Entertainment 6305394776). A documentary titled The Crystal Liturgy (Juxtaposition B000WPJ6O4) gathers archival material and musical excerpts into a wide-ranging musical biography.

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