List of Works
Messiaen wrote a vast amount of music including many test and sight reading pieces when he was teaching at the Ecole Normale de Musique during the 1930s and many early works were either discarded or considered as 'mere student exercises and not worth publishing'; so some of these works and others that are unpublished to date appear in blue.
1917 La dame de Shalott - Piano
1921 Deux ballades de Villon I. Épître à ses amis II.Ballade des pendus- Voice & Piano
Ballade des pendus (poeme by François Villon)
1925 La tristesse d'un grand ciel blanc - Piano
1926 Fugue - (sur un sujet de Henri Rabaud) Orchestral
1927 Esquisse modale - Organ
1927 Pièce pour orgue sur un thème de Laparra - Organ
1927 Adagio - Organ, Violin and Cello
1926/27 Andantino (String Quartet)
1928 Fugue en ré mineur (Orchestra)
1928 L'hôte aimable des âmes - Organ
1928 La banquet eucharistique - Orchestral 1st and only performance on 22-1-1930 in an event called 'Exercice des éleves' at the Paris Conservatoire cond. by Henri Rabaud.
1928 Le banquet céleste - Organ (Leduc) The first edition of 1934 was written in 3/4 metre with no metronome mark. Messiaen revised this in 1960 with a metre of 3/2 and MM of quaver = 52.
1928 Variations écossaises - Organ
1928 Jésus (Poème symphonique)
c.1929 Prélude en trio sur un thème de Haydn - Organ
1928-29 Préludes - Piano (Durand)1st private performance 28-1-1930 at Editions Durand by Messiaen 1st public performance 15-6-1937 by Bernadette Alexandre-Georges at Ecole Normale de Musique Paris
1930 Sainte-Bohème (Extrait des Odes funambulesques)-a setting for chorus and orchestra of a text by Théodore de Banville.
1930 Fugue pour le Concours de Rome (sur un sujet de Georges Hüe)
1930 La Mer pour le Concours de Rome (a cantata, parts of which were later used in Trois Petites Liturgies.)
1930 Diptyque - Organ (Durand) 1st public performance 20-2-1930 Les Amis de l'Orgue, Eglise de la Trinite, Messiaen
1930 La mort du nombre - Vocal/Chamber - sop, ten, violin, piano (Durand) 1st public performance 1931 Societe Musicale Independante, Ecole Normale de Musique Paris. Georgette Mathieu (S), Jean Planel (T) Monsieur Blareau (vl) Messiaen (pn)
1930 Les offrandes oubliées - Orchestral - 3.3.3.3;4.3.3.1;timp,perc,strings (Durand) 1st public performance 19-2-1930 Theatre des Champs Elysees, Les Concerts Straram dir. Walter Straram
1930 Les offrandes Oubliées - Piano version (Durand)
1930/35 Offrande au Saint Sacrement- Organ (Leduc)
1929/30 Simple chant d'une âme- Orchestral
1930 Trois mélodies- Voice & Piano (Durand) 1st public performance 1930 Societe national de musique, Louise Matha and Messiaen
1931 Le Tombeau resplendissant - Orchestra - 3.3(1 cor ang).3(1clB).3-4.3.3.1-1perc - strings(Durand) 1st public performance 12-2-1933 Salle Pleyel Paris dir Monteux
c.1931 Fugue pour le Concours de Rome
1931 L'Ensorceleuse Cantate- sop, ten, bass and piano (or orchestra) Played through for the judges at the Prix de Rome competion 4 July 1931
1931 La Jeunesse des vieux- a short choral setting of a poem by Catulle Mendés
1932 Apparition de l'église éternelle- Organ (Lemoine)
1932 Fantaisie Burlesque- Piano (Durand)1st public performance 8-2-1933 by Robert Casadesus Concerts de la Societe Musicale Independante, Ecole Normale de Musique
1932 Hymne au Saint Sacrament - Orchestral - 3.3.3.3;4.3.3.0,timp.perc,strings (Bro) 1st public performance 23-3-1933 cond. Walther Straram Théatre Champs-Élysées
1932 Thème et variations- Chamber - violin & piano (Leduc) 1st public performance 22-11-1932 at Cercle Musical de Paris Claire Delbos and Messiaen
1932-33 L'Ascension- Orchestral - 3.3.3.3;4.3.3.1,timp,perc;16.16.14.12.10 (Leduc) 1st public performance 9-2-1935 at Salle Rameau, Concerts Siohan cond Robert Siohan
1933 Fantasie- Chamber - violin & piano (Durand 2007) First known performance:Schola Cantorum, paris 18 - 3 - 1935 (Messiaen and Delbos). Rediscovered in 2007 and published.
1933 Mass - Vocal - 8 sopranos 4 violins
1933-34 L'Ascension - Organ (Leduc) 1st public performance 29-1-1935 at saint-Antoine-des-Quinze-Vingts by Messiaen
1934 5 Leçons de Solfege a chanter - treble clef & piano accom. (Lemoine)
1934 Morceau de Lecture à vue for Piano
1935 La Nativité du Seigneur - Organ (Leduc) 1st complete public performance 27-2-1936 concert by Les Amis de l'Orgue at Trinité by Daniel Lesur mvt 1-3, Jean Langlais mvts4-6 and Jean-Jacques Grunenwald mvts7-9
1935 Pièce pour le tombeau de Paul Dukas - Piano (Durand) 1st public performance by Joaquin Nin-Culmell 25-4-1936 Ecole Normale de Musique Paris
1935 Vocalise - Voice & piano (Leduc) 1st public performance 18-5-1936 by Hennriette Quéru-Bedel and Messiaen
1936 Poèmes pour Mi - Vocal - sop & piano (Durand) 1st public performance 28-4-1937 Les Concerts de la Spirale, Marcelle Bunlet (s) Messiaen (pno)
1937 O sacrum convivium - Vocal SATB or sop & organ (Durand) 1st public performance 17-2-1938 Les Amis de l'Orgue at Trinité
1937 Poèmes pour Mi - Sop & Orchestra - 3.3.2.3;4.3.3.1;3 perc;strings (Durand)
1937 Fêtes des Belles Eaux - 6 Ondes Martenots (Leduc) 1st public performance 25-7-1937 at Fete de la lumiere Paris
1938 Chants de terre et de ciel - Vocal sop & piano (Durand) 1st public performance 23-1-1939 Les Concerts du Triton, Ecole Normale de Musique, Paris. Marcelle Bunlet (s) Messiaen (pno)
1938 Deux monodies en quarts de ton - Ondes Martenot. Unpublished, the Deux Monodies in ¼ tones for Ondes Martenot were written when he was a professor at the École Normale de Musique in Paris.
1939 Les corps glorieux - Organ (Leduc) 1st private performance 22-7-1941 at Trinité 1st public performance 15-11-1943 at Trinité by Messiaen
1939 Vie pour Dieu des Ressuscités - Organ. A transcription of L'eau Movement 4 of Fêtes des Belles Eaux and later movement 5 of Quatuor pour la fin du temps. It is believed that Messiaen was to have used it as the second movement of Les corps glorieux but later deleted it. The first performance after its discovery was March 17th 2019 by Thomas Lacôte at La Trinité in Paris.
1940-41 Quatuor pour la fin du temps - Chamber - violin,clarinet,cello,piano (Durand)1st public performance during captivity 15-1-1941 in Stalag VIIIA, Gorlitz by Jean Le Boulaire, Henri Akoka, Etienne Pasquier and Messiaen. Then 24-6-1941 by Jean Pasquier, Andre Vacellier, Etienne Pasquier and Messiaen at Theatre des Mathurins, Paris
(There is an arrangement of Louange a l'eternite de Jesus by Clytus Gottwald for 19 voices)
1941 Choeurs pour une Jeanne d'Arc I. Te Deum II.Impropères pour grand chœur et petit chœur mixtes, a cappella
The choruses were written for Portique pour une fille de France a pageant by Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre Barbier.
1942 Musique de scène pour un Oedipe [Dieu est innocent]- Electronic (1 Ondes Martenot)
1943 Rondeau - Piano (Leduc)
1943 Visions de l'Amen - 2 Pianos (Durand)1st public performance by Yvonne Loriod and Messiaen at Galerie Charpentier, Les Concerts se la Pleiade Paris 10-5-1943
1943-44 Trois Petites liturgies de la présence divine - Vocal/Orchestral - 36 womens voices,piano solo, ondes martenot solo, celesta, vibraphone, 3 perc; 8.8.6.6.4 (Durand) 1st public performance 21-4-1945 Les concerts de la Pleiade, Salle du Conservatoire, Y Loriod, G Martenot Desormiere dir.
1944 Vingt regards sur l'enfant-Jésus - Piano (Durand) 1st public performance by Yvonne Loriod 26-3-1945 Salle Gaveau, Paris
1945 Harawi - Vocal - sop & piano (Leduc) 1st private performance 26-6-1946 at Étienne de Beaumont's house, Paris by Marcelle Bunlet and Messiaen 1st public performance 27-6-1946 at Galerie Georges Giroux, Brussels.
1945 Piéce, for oboe and piano
1945 Tristan et Yseult - Théme d'Amour - Organ
1945 Chant des déportés - Vocal & Orchestra - 3.2.3.3;4.3.3.1;3 perc, piano, glock, strings (in large numbers) 1st public performance 2-11-
1945 at Palais de Chaillot cond Manuel Rosenthal
1946-48 Turangalîla-Symphonie - Orchestral 3.3.3.3;4.5.3.1; piano solo, ondes martenot solo; glock, celeste, vibraphone, 5perc; 16.16.14.12.10 (Durand) 1st public performance 2-12-1949 Symphony Hall Boston USA Y.Loriod, G Martenot dir. Bernstein
1948 Cinq Réchants - Vocal 3S 3A 3T 3B (Salabert) 1st public performance 1949 Salle Erard Paris. Ensemble vocal Marcel Couraud dir.
1949 Cantéyodjyâ - Piano (UE) 1st public performance 23-2-1954 at Petit Théatre Marigny by Yvonne Loriod
1949-50 Messe de la Pentecôte - Organ (Leduc) 1st incomplete public performance 13-5-1951 at Trinité by Messiaen
1949-50 Quatre Études de rythme - Piano (Durand) 1st public performance by Messiaen, 6-11-1950 Alliance Française Tunis
1951 Livre d'orgue - Organ (Leduc) 1st public performance (France) March 1955 by Messiaen
1952 Le merle noir - Chamber - flute & piano (Leduc)
1952 Timbres-durées - Electronic/Musique Concrete
1953 Chant donneé {Leçon d'harmonie:Hommage à Jean Gallon} unspecified instrumentation, written in open score SATB.
c.1953 Réveil des oiseaux - Orchestral - 4.3.4.3;2.2.0.0; Piano solo, celeste, xylo, glock, 2 perc; 8.8.8.8.6 (Durand) 1st public performance 11-10-1953 Donaueschingen Festival Germany. Loriod pno. Rosbaud dir.
1955-56 Oiseaux exotiques - Orchestral - 2.1.3.1;2.1.0.0; piano solo, glock, xylo, 5 perc (UE) 1st public performance 10-3-1956 at Petit Théatre Marignt, Paris cond Rudolf Albert, Y.loriod pno.
1956-58 Catalogue d'oiseaux - Piano (Leduc) 1st public performance 15-4-1959 at Salle Gaveau by Y. Loriod
1959 Conférence de Bruxelles - Text (Leduc)
1959-60 Chronochromie - Orchestral - 4.3.4.3;4.4.3.1; glock, xylo, marimba, 3 perc; 16.16.14.12.10 (Leduc) 1st public performance 16-10-1960 at Donaueschingen cond. Hans Rosbaud
1960 Verset pour la Fête de la Dédicace - Organ (Leduc) Composed as a test piece for the Paris Conservatoire.
1961 La Fauvette Passerinette - Piano (performing realization by Peter Hill)
1962 Sept haïkaï - Orchestral - 2.3.4.2;0.1.1.0; piano solo, xylo, marimba, 4 perc; 8.0.0.0.0 (Leduc) 1st public performance 30-10-1963 at Odéon Theatre de France cond P.Boulez, Y.Loriod pno. Orch du Domaine Musical.
1963 Couleurs de la Cité Céleste - Orchestral - 0.0.3.0;2.4.4.0; piano solo, xylo, xylorim,, marimba, 3 perc. (Leduc) 1st public performance 17-10-1964 at Donaueschingen, orch. Domaine Musical cond. Pierre Boulez, Y.Loriod pno.
1963 Monodie - for Organ (Leduc)
1964 Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum - Orchestral - 5.4.5.4;6.4.4.2;6 perc. (Leduc) 1st public performance 7-5-1965 at Saint Chapelle cond. Serge Baudo
1964 Prélude for Piano - ed. Yvonne Loriod-Messiaen (Durand) 1st public performance by Yvonne Loriod 8-12-2000 Conservatoire national superieur de musique de Paris
1965-69 La Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jésus - Vocal/Orchestral - Choir: s.s.m-s.a.t.t.bar.b.b (10 voices per part). Orch: piano solo, cello solo, flute solo, clarinet solo, xylorimba solo, vibraphone solo, marimba solo; 5.4.5.4;6.4.4.2;6 perc; 16.16.14.12.12. (Leduc) 1st public performance 7-6-1969 at Coliseu Lisbon cond. Serge Baudo
1969 Méditations sur le mystère de la Sainte Trinité - Organ (Leduc) 1st private performance 8-11-1971 by Messiaen at Trinité. 1st public performance 20-3-1972 at Basillica of the Immaculate Conception, Washington USA by Messiaen
1970 La fauvette des jardins - Piano (Leduc)
1971 Le tombeau de Jean-Pierre Guezec - Horn solo
1971-74 Des Canyons aux étoiles - Orchestral - 4.3.4.3;3.3.3.0; piano solo, horn solo, glock, xylorim, 5 perc; 6.0.3.3.1 (Leduc) 1st public performance 20-11-1974 at Alice Tully Hall New York USA by Musica Aeterna Orch cond, Fredric Waldman, Y.Loriod pno.
1975-83 Saint-François d'Assise - Opera - Choir: s.s.m-s.a.t.t.bar.b.b (15 voices per part). Orch: 7.4.8.4;6.4.3.3; xylo, xylorimba, vibraphone, marimba, glock, 5 perc; 3 ondes martenot; 16.16.14.12.10. (Leduc) 1st public performance 28-11-1983 at Paris Opera cond. Seiji Ozawa
1977 Conférence de Notre - Dame - Text (Leduc)
1977 Improvisations (for L'Âme en bourgeon - texts by Cécile Sauvage)
1982 Sigle - a short piece for unaccompanied flute which has been published for the first time as an illustration in the French edition (Paris, Fayard, 2008) of the biography by Hill and Simeone. This was reused in "Éclairs sur l'au-delà"
1984 Livre du Saint Sacrament - Organ (Leduc) 1st public performance 1-7-1986 by Almut Rossler at Metropolitan Methodist Church Michigan USA
1985 Petites esquisses d'oiseaux - Piano (Leduc) 1st public performance 25-1-1987 in Paris by Y.Loriod 1985 Conférence de Kyoto - Text (Leduc)Feuillets inédits arr. for ondes Martenot & piano (No date of composition) (Durand)
1986 Un vitrail et des oiseaux - Orchestral - 4.4.5.3; 0.1.0.0; piano solo, xylo, xylorim, marimba,5 perc. (Leduc) 1st public performance 26-11-1988 at Theatre des Champs-Elysees cond. Pierre Boulez
1986 Chant dans le Style Mozart - Clarinet & Piano
1987 La ville d'En-haut - Orchestral - 5.4.5.3;6.4.3.1, piano solo, glock, xylo, xylorim, marimba, 4 perc. (Leduc) 1st public performance 17-11-1989 at Salle Pleyel, BBCSO cond. P.Boulez
1988-92 Eclairs sur l'au-delà - Orchestral - 10.4.10.4;6.5.3.3; crotales, glock, xylo, xylorim, marimba,, 10 perc; 16.16.14.12.10. (Leduc)
c.1987-91 Un oiseau des arbres de Vie (Orchestrated by Christopher Dingle). 1st performance 7 August 2015, Royal Albert Hall, BBC Philharmonic, Nicholas Collon.
1989 Un Sourire - Orchestral - 4.4.3.3;4.1.0.0;xylo, xylorim,2 perc; 16.16.14.12.0 (Leduc) 1st public performance 5-12-1991
1990-91 Concert à Quatre - Orchestral - flute solo, oboe solo, cello solo, piano solo and large orch. (Leduc)
1991 Pièce pour piano et quatuor à cordes - Chamber (UE) 1st public performance in Vienna 19-11-1991
Discovered in 1997 (composed c.1928) Prélude - Organ (Leduc)
2017 (based on Messiaen's notes taken from 1958) Fauvettes de l'Hérault - concert des garrigues- (Leduc) Piano (work reconstructed by Roger Muraro édition non répertoriée) 1st performance Toppan Hall, Tokyo, Japan. June 23 2017
Hymne des passereaux au lever du jour - solo clarinet (unknown date of composition)
Feuillets inédits, quatre pièces pour Ondes Martenot et Piano. Discovered and arranged by Yvonne Loriod, these four short pieces date from the 1930's and published in 2002.(Leduc)
Prélude pour orgue - c. 1928 published 2002 (Leduc)
2011 LECTURE AT KYOTO – KONFERENZ VON KYOTO (TEXTE ANGLAIS ET ALLEMAND) LEDUC AL 30473. German translation by Almut Rößler. English translation by Timothy Tikker