Livre du Saint-Sacrement

Messiaen's Livre du Saint-Sacrement (1984) is his final and most monumental organ work, a vast meditation in eighteen movements on the mystery of the Eucharist that took seven years to complete. It synthesizes every element of his mature style: complex modes of limited transposition, Hindu rhythmic techniques, bird-song transcriptions from around the world, and a harmonic language that is simultaneously intellectually rigorous and deeply devotional. Movements range from the terrifying -- Demeurer dans l'Amour, with its brutal dissonances representing divine wrath -- to the transcendentally serene. It demands a full concert commitment of nearly two hours and is among the most technically and spiritually demanding works in the organ repertoire.