List of compositions by Olivier Messiaen

This is a list of compositions by Olivier Messiaen. Works are listed initially by genre and can be sorted chronologically by clicking on the "Date" header.

Messiaen's compositions include works for chamber ensemble, orchestra, vocal music, music for piano and organ, as well as some of the earliest electronic music, with his use of the ondes Martenot in several of his compositions. Messiaen's work is characterised by rhythmic complexity, his interest in ornithology and birdcalls, and his system of modes of limited transposition.

List of compositions TitleScoringDateNotesSome information comes from the New Grove article on Messiaen. StageSaint François d'Assise(Saint Francis of Assisi)opera in 3 actssoprano, 3 tenors, 4 baritones, and bass soloists, chorus, and orchestra1975–83libretto by MessiaenOrchestralFugue en ré mineur(Fugue in D minor)orchestra1928lostLe Banquet eucharistique(The Eucharistic Banquet)orchestra1928premiere Jan. 1930; unpublished;portions recomposed for organ as Le banquet céleste in 1928 and Offrande au Saint-Sacrement in 1929Jésus – Poème symphonique(Jesus – symphonic poem)orchestra1928lostSimple chant d'une âme(Simple Song of a Soul)orchestra1930lost – Méditation symphonique(The Forgotten Offerings – Symphonic Meditation)orchestra1930premiere 1931; arr. for piano solo in 1931Le Tombeau resplendissant(The Resplendent Tomb)orchestra1931published 1997(Hymn to the Holy Sacrament)orchestra1932lost in 1942, Messiaen reconstructed it from memory in 1946, published as HymnL'Ascension – quatre méditations symphoniques pour orchestre(The Ascension – four symphonic meditations for orchestra)orchestra1932–33mvts 1, 2, and 4 arr. for organ with a new 3rd mvt in 1933–34Chronochromie(Time-Color)orchestra1959–60premiere 1960Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum(And I Await the Resurrection of the Dead)34 winds & brass, 3 percussion1964premiere 1965Un sourire(A Smile)orchestra1989commissioned for the bicentenary of the death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; premiere 1990Éclairs sur l'Au-Delà...(Lightning over the Beyond...)orchestra1987–91flute solo in 7th mvt from Sigle;premiered by the New York Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta conducting, in November 1992Un oiseau des arbres de vie (Oiseau tui)(A Bird of the Trees of Life (Tūī Bird))orchestra1987–91discarded 3rd mvt from Éclairs sur l'au-delà (in between the existing 2nd & 3rd mvts);manuscript in piano sketch with orchestration annotations discovered among Messiaen's papers;orchestrated by Christopher Dingle and first performed at the BBC Proms in August 2015ConcertanteTrois Tâla("Three Tâla")piano and orchestra1946–48used in Turangalîla-Symphonie (movements 3-5)Turangalîla-Symphonie ("Turangalîla Symphony")piano and ondes Martenot soloists, and orchestra1946–48revised 1990 (published 1994); premiere 1949Réveil des oiseaux(Awakening of the Birds)solo piano and orchestra1953revised 1988 (published 1999);premiere 1953Oiseaux exotiques("Exotic Birds")solo piano, and 11 winds, 7 percussion1955–56revised 1985 (published 1995); premiere 1956Concert des garrigues – sur les oiseaux de l'Hérault("Garrigues Concerto – on the birds of Hérault")piano and orchestra1958–62written as an homage to Debussy; ms in piano score, complete but without orchestration, ms discarded and music rewritten as Sept haïkaï after the composer's visit to Japan;

ms reconstructed and edited as a solo piano piece as Fauvettes de l'Hérault – Concert des garrigues

("Warblers of Herault – Garrigues Concerto") by Roger Muraro, and first performed by him in Tokyo June 2017Sept haïkaï – Esquisses japonaisses("Seven Haikus – Japanese Sketches")solo piano, and 8 violins, 13 winds, 6 percussion1962("Colours of the Celestial City")solo piano, and 3 clarinets, 10 brass, 6 percussion1963Des Canyons aux étoiles...(From the Canyons to the Stars...)piano, horn, glockenspiel, and xylorimba soloists, and small orchestra with 13 string players1971–746th mvt is horn piece Le tombeau de Jean-Pierre Guezec("A Stained-Glass Window and Birds")piano solo, and 17 winds & brass, 8 percussion1987La Ville d'En-Haut("The City on High")piano solo, and 31 winds & brass, 8 percussion1987Concert à quatre("Quadruple Concerto")piano, cello, flute, and oboe soloists, and orchestra1991–922nd mvt is arr. of soprano & piano piece Vocalise-Étude; 5th mvt (a five-voice fugue) never written and portions of orchestration not completed due to the composer's declining health;

2nd half of 1st mvt and all of 4th mvt orchestrated by Yvonne Loriod, George Benjamin, and Heinz Holliger, premiered in 1994, published in 2003ChoralLa Sainte-Bohème(The Holy Bohemian)Text: Théodore de Banville from Odes funambulesquesmixed chorus and orchestra1930composed for the Prix de Rome; unpublishedL'Ensorceleuse(The Sorceress)cantatasoprano, tenor, bass, and piano or orchestra1931premiere 1931; unpublishedLa Jeunesse des vieux(The Youth of the Old)Poem: Catulle Mendéschorus and orchestra1931composed for the Prix de Rome; unpublishedMesse (Mass)8 sopranos, and 4 violins1933–34unpublished; copyrighted in 1953Poèmes pour Mi(Poems for Mi)song cyclesoprano and orchestra1937arr. of soprano and piano workO sacrum convivium!("Oh Sacred Banquet!")motetSATB chorus and organ1937organ accomp. optionalChoeurs pour une Jeanne d'Arc("Chorales for Joan of Arc")

Te Deum Impropèreschorus1941premiere 1941; unpublished,Trois petites liturgies de la présence divine(Three Small Liturgies of the Divine Presence)36 women's voices, piano solo, ondes Martenot solo, and strings, percussion1943–44revised 1952, 1990Chant des déportés(Song of the Deportees)large ST chorus and orchestra1945believed lost until discovered in 1991(Five Re-chants)3 sopranos, 3 altos, 3 tenors, 3 basses1948La Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ("The Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ")large 100-voice 10-part chorus, piano, cello, flute, clarinet, xylophone, vibraphone, and marimba soloists, and large orchestra1965–69premiere 1969SongsDeux ballades de Villon(Two Ballads of Villon)voice and piano1921unpublishedTrois mélodies(Three Melodies) song cyclesoprano and piano1930La Mort du nombre(Death of the Number)soprano, tenor, violin, and piano1930Leçons de solfège à chanter(Solfege Singing Lessons) 5 wordless pieceshigh voice and piano1934published 2001; originally part of an anthology seriesVocalise-Étude("Vocalisation Study")soprano and piano1935orchestrated as 2nd mvt of Concert à quatre in 1991Poèmes pour Mi(Poems for Mi) song cyclesoprano and piano1936orchestrated in 1937Chants de Terre et de Ciel(Songs of Earth and Heaven) song cyclesoprano and piano1938Harawi : Chants d'amour et de mort(Harawi: Songs of Love and Death) song cyclesoprano and piano19455th mvt is arr. of oboe and piano PièceChamberAdagioorgan, violin, cello1927lostAndantinostring quartet1926–27lostThème et variations(Theme and Variations)violin and piano1932Fantaisie ("Fantasia")violin and piano1933premiere 1935; discovered and published 2007see this note on errors in the scoreQuatuor pour la fin du Temps("Quartet for the End of Time")violin, cello, clarinet, and piano1940-415th mvt is arr. of 4th mvt of Fête des belles eaux, 8th mvt is arr. of 2nd mvt of DiptyquePièce ("Piece")oboe and piano1945written as a test piece for the oboe concours at the Paris Conservatoire, premiere 1945; unpublished;

arr. for soprano and piano as 5th mvt of HarawiLe Merle noir(The Blackbird)flute and piano1952, outlines the chronology of Messiaen's compositions of 1951–52 Le merle noir and Livre d'orgueLe Tombeau de Jean-Pierre Guézec("The Tomb of Jean-Pierre Guézec")horn solo1971premiere 1971; unpublished;

revised and expanded as 6th mvt of Des canyons aux étoiles...Sigle("Acronym")flute solo1982premiere 1982; unpublished;

later used in the 7th mvt of Éclairs sur l'au-delàChant dans le style Mozart("Song in the Style of Mozart")clarinet and piano1986written for Conservatoire de Paris clarinet examinations, premiere 1986; unpublished, but recorded by Yvonne Loriod and Guy Deplus in 1999Pièce pour piano et quatuor à cordes("Piece for Piano and String Quartet")piano quintet1991Feuillets inédits("Unpublished Leaves")4 piecespiano and ondes Martenotc. 1934-7originally pedagogical works for voice and piano, 2 unfinished, compiled and arranged by Yvonne Loriod, published in 2001OrganEsquisse modale("Modal Sketch")organ1927unpublishedPièce pour orgue sur un thème de Laparra("Piece for Organ on a Theme of Laparra")organ1927lostPrélude ("Prelude")organunknown, probably around 1928discovered 1997, published 2002Variations écossaises("Scottish Variations")organ1928unpublishedLe Banquet Céleste(The Heavenly Banquet)organ1928a recomposition of a section from the unpublished orchestra work Le banquet eucharistique;revised 1960L'Hôte aimable des âmes("The Kind Host of Souls")organ1928unpublishedOffrande au Saint Sacrement(Offering to the Holy Sacrament)organ1929some scholars suggest composition date of 1930–35, others 1928–31 being related to Le Banquet Céleste of 1928, but most likely this is the Conservatoire examination submission Messiaen mentions in Jan. 1929 (see Christopher Brent Murray, Le développement du langage musical d'Olivier Messiaen, pp. 176–7)a recomposition of a section from the unpublished orchestral piece Le banquet eucharistique; published 2001Prélude en trio sur un thème de Haydn("Prelude and Trio on a Theme of Haydn")organ1929lostDiptyque: Essai sur la vie terrestre et l'éternité bienheureuse("Diptych: Essay on earthly life and blessed eternity")organ1929–302nd section arr. as 8th mvt of Quatuor pour la fin du temps in 1940Apparition de l'église éternelle("Apparition of the Eternal Church")organ1932revised 1985 (registrations added)L'Ascension("The Ascension")

Majesté du Christ demandant sa gloire à son Père ("Christ's majesty, asking His Father for His glory") Alleluias sereins d'une âme qui désire le ciel ("Serene alleluias of a soul who longs for heaven") Transports de joie d'une âme devant la gloire du Christ qui est la sienne ("Outbursts of Joy of a soul before Christ's Majesty, which is in itself Glorious") Prière du Christ montant vers son Père ("Christ's Prayer as He ascends towards His Father")organ1933–34mvts 1, 2, and 4 arr. from the orchestra work, 3rd mvt is newLa Nativité du Seigneur("The Lord's Nativity")

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 ("The Lord Amidst Us")organ1935Les Corps glorieux("The Glorious Bodies")

Subtilité des Corps Glorieux ("Subtlety of the Glorious Bodies") Les eaux de la Grâce ("The Fountains of Grace") L'ange aux parfums ("The Angel of Perfumes") Combat de Mort et de la Vie ("Battle of Life and Death") Force et agilité des Corps Glorieux ("Strength and Agility of the Glorious Bodies") Joie et clarté des Corps Glorieux ("Joy and Clarity of the Glorious Bodies") Le Mystère de la Sainte-Trinité ("The Mystery of the Holy Trinity")organ1939Tristan et Yseult – Thème d'Amour("Tristan and Isolde – Love Theme")organ1945written for a play, premiere 1945; used as the thème d'amour in Harawi and Turangalîla (transposed)Messe de la Pentecôte (Pentecost Mass) Entrée (Les langues de feu) – Entrance Offertoire (Les choses visibles et invisibles) – Offertory Consécration (Le don de Sagesse) – Consecration Communion (Les oiseaux et les sources) – Communion