Music TheoryPrint

Olivier Messiaen

Apparition de l'église éternelle

Apparition de l'église éternelle (Apparition of the eternal church) is a work for organ, written by the French composer Olivier Messiaen in 1932. The piece is in arch form, beginning in pianissimo ()

Film#

Filmmaker and musician Paul Festa created the film Apparition of the Eternal Church which captures the responses of 31 artists and writers to the piece. It is also featured during the elevator scene in Pedro Costa’s 2014 film Horse Money.

  • Messiaen plays his work in Sainte-Trinité, Paris (1956; YouTube)
Composer
Olivier Messiaen