L'ascension
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Encyclopedic overview
13 sectionsContents
- History
- Development
- Controversies
- Instrumentation
- Form
- I. ''Majesté du Christ demandant sa gloire à son Père''
- II. ''Alléluias sereins d’une âme qui désire le ciel''
- III. ''Alléluia sur la trompette, alléluia sur la cymbale''
- IIIa. ''Transports de joie d'une âme devant la gloire du Christ qui est la sienne'' (for organ)
- IV. ''Prière du Christ montant vers son Père''
- Organ version
- References
- External links
'''''L'Ascension''' (, ; official translation: "Ascension Day"'') is a suite of four symphonic meditations for orchestra that, with the exception of its third movement, were later arranged for pipe organ in 1933–1934. The work was written by the French composer Olivier Messiaen from 1932 to 1933 in Paris, Neuchâtel, and Monaco. It was premièred under the direction of Robert Siohan at the Salle Rameau in Paris on 9 February 1935. It is one of his first major works (the first such for orchestra); and, in both of its iterations, among his most well-known.
The work is in four movements and uses modes of limited transposition and complex rhythms, which are characteristic of Messiaen's compositional style. Nevertheless, the work is rooted in tonality and uses key signatures. It is as follows: ' ("The Majesty of Christ Demanding His Glory of the Father") ' ("Serene Alleluias of a Soul that Longs for the Heavens") ' ("Alleluia on the Trumpet, Alleluia on the Cymbal") ' ("Prayer of Christ Ascending Towards His Father")
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “L'ascension” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.