Olivier Messiaen

Saint Francois D Assise

Saint Francois D'Assise is an opera in 3 acts by Olivier Messiaen. This volume is part of the edition that includes the books with the full Orchestra scores, as well as the explanations, analysisand comments of each tableau. It is focused on the 'Act 1, Tableau 2. Les laudes' which tells of the moment when Saint Francis his requests to God to meet a leper and to be able to love him.

This tableaudepicts Saint Francis and the 'Mineurs Brothers' singing the morning service until the bells ring, leaving Saint Francis alone to pray. It includes Saint Francis' prayers, some parts of Cantiquedescréatures on Brother Wind, Sister Water, Brother Fire and Mother Earth and the Sanctus.

Based on the life of Saint Francis of Assisi, this opera is set in Italy and is composed as per below:

Act I:
1. La croix
2. Les laudes
3. Le baiser au lépreux

Act II
4. L'ange voyageur
5. L'ange musicien
6. Le prêche aux oiseaux

Act II
7. Les stigmates
8. La mort et la nouvelle vie

This opera was first played at the Paris Opera in 1983.

Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) was a French organist and composer passionate aboutOrnithology and one of the most important composers of his century. Inspired by Japanese music, he had a very special way of composing and his work can be identified by its complexity, its diatonic aspect, its harmony with limitedtransposition, its colour and its additive rhythms. He composed many works related to ornithology and birdsong, including the 'Bird Catalogue' in 7 volumes and the 'Treatise on Rhythm, Colour and Ornithology' in 7 volumes.