God Is amongst us! A visitor entering the Abbey Church of St Ouen upon hearing this may consider that it is so. Ms Weir's playing builds on the magnificence of Messiaen's work in a way only she can do. Her intimate collaboration & support to Messiaen during his lifetime is God's Blessing for her. Bravo!

The 32' Contre-Bombarde at the end is simply one of the most awe-inspiring sounds on earth

L’œuvre sublime de Messian. Le chef d’oeuvre des chefs d’oeuvres du XXE siècle. Un dieu parmi nous. Et je suis agnostique, de tradition catholique, mélomane de Trash Metal, Power Metal, Hard Rock, jazz fusion, free jazz, be-bop, blues rock, musique sacrée, musique baroque et musique ancienne. Tous des dieux parmi nous, ces créateurs et interprètes. Ite missa est.

Gilian Weir is de juiste organiste op de juiste plaats om deze diepgravende muziek te spelen op een van de weinige nog originele Cavaille Coll orgels ter wereld. Elke keer als ik deze grandioze muziek hoor van Olivier Messiaen raakt het me diep in mijn ziel. Wat zou het fijn zijn als ik na mijn lichamelijke dood deze man zou mogen "ontmoeten" in de dimensie hierna.

since she studied with messiaen, she probably knows better how to perform his works in cathedral spaces than the American organists making disparaging remarks below.

Messiaen as an organ composer is considered second only to Bach. There's a saying that Bach's music builds a cathedral of sound, and Messiaen's adds the stained glass windows.

I was lucky enough to play the first movement of L'Ascension to Dame Gillian - she seemed very impressed - but she went on to go into an in-depth explanation of Messiaen's music. It was deeply fascinating - she is quite a teacher - and you can tell just how much she connects to Messiaen's music. Love this video - ending toccata section a bit rushed for my liking but apart from that a perfect example of how great a Messiaen interpreter she is.

It's such a joy to hear this fiery tour-de-force played so wonderfully by such an accomplished organist on such a powerful instrument in these "living, breathing" acoustics. Breathtaking! 👍👏

This might be the best thing I’ve seen and heard in my life.

Visceral, unearthly music beautifully played on an amazing instrument. What's not to love? Glorious!

This is a simply superb performance...worth also listening to Simon Preston's recording at Westminster Abbey in the 60's too..marvelous drawn out chords when required, then very fast..love the all enveloping power and articulation of both these great artists. Messrs Latry etc too of course!

Whenever i hear the first chords played, followed by the deep bass pedals note, i need to stand. No matter what i’m doing and no matter where i am. Thank you Maestro Messiaen. And this is by far the best performance on youtube, chapeaux Madame Weir

This is absolutely amazing and awe inspiring! What a composition! What an instrument!! What an organist!!! Turn up the volume on this one but be careful to not blow your speakers!!

This is why I am an organist!

Hört sich verdammt gut und professionell an!

Jaaaaaaaa absolut höchste erhebende Freude!!!! WOW, THE INCREDIBLE BECOMES BELIEF.....Danke Gillian Weir, you can't play it more poignantly

J'aime particulièrement cette œuvre et c'est un grand plaisir de l'entendre sous vos doigts. Quelle belle sensibilité ! Merci.

A superb rendition by Gillian Weir - and the tempi are perfect too!

The ultimate performance; glorious!!!

...this is ny far the best performance I have heard of this work. I used to play this but never as intense and and with the passion as this.

Awesome.

cette oeuvre de Messiaen en ce lieu sur cet orgue Cavaillé-Coll de St Ouen, c'est intensément prenant et magnifique, merci beaucoup à vous, Gillian Weir !

Hot organ shoes, Dame Gillian!

c'est la meilleur version que j'ai entendue jusqu'à présent !!

Fantastic mixtures on this organ very great sound on this instument.

Saint Ouen and Messiaen: Top

From the breeze to the storm, magnificiently rendered...

Merveilleuse interprétation de ce final de la Nativité du Seigneur, avec une registration adéquate !

When I was very young and played the organ in our church I became obsessed with this piece. I was able to buy a copy somehow and gave it to my piano teacher Miss Alison Hulchur who was also an organist. She was excited to learn it.

Thank you for making this available for us to enjoy. I've heard the Rouen organ live and I would LOVE to have heard this live, too!! Amazing!

Grand Cavaillé-Coll !!! Sonorités inégalées !!! Incroyable en se qui concerne les 32 pieds de la contre bombarde, quelle puissance !!!

He is writing on a glorious organ that completely resembles the wonderful asthetic glory of God and when you take a little chord that dosen't sound that good and play it on a organ like this it becomes beuatiful music.

Really fine, focused and colourful performance. She really makes it hers, with her own insights and interpretation. Stellar organ…

This sound ! Overwhelmingly magnificent

Awesome! I LOVE this organ.

I know Dr. Weir is playing this faster than some commenters' likings, but I still think it's a stunning performance with great excitement. BTW, someone below said that Messiaen is not Weir's forte; however, she is recognized as one of the leading interpreters of his works. I have a wonderful set of Messiaen's complete organ works performed by Weir on the Collins label.

This is the REAL heavy metal's power chords, tons of pipes singing loud "God Among Us" (Dieu Parmi Nous" God speaking!

Bravo! A wonderful performance by Ms. Weir!

Fantastic performance!

Magnifique, bravo !

Absolutely superb!

Messiaen the Mystic and Dr. Weir the Mystic, a perfect match. This particular work always reminds me of what might have been going on pre the Big Bang, i.e. pre the great "Let there be…" and behold what was let forth. Congratulation! Sent with love. CVD

An exciting performance of an exciting piece about an exciting subject well, I think it is! Thank you, Dame Gillian.

Absolutely stunning!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing!

Tres belle interpretation.👏👏👏👏

Thankyou for Uploading this. Its a stunning recording and video of 3 of the most important musical people around. Cavaille-Coll. Messiaen, and of course Weir.

Interprétation exceptionnelle.

This is just sublime: perfect combination of music, organ, and ORGANIST!!

How marvelous !! Thanks a lot

Catholics really knew something about the infinite power and grandeur of the almighty. No wonder church attendance is down, maybe if they abandoned the house bands playing cute little sing along diddies in those sterile modern gathering spaces, and brought back masses that were more like classical concerts in the cavernous smoke filled cathedrals with stained glass washing everything in brilliance, then things might turn around.

What an incredible performance. I felt like i was listening to this piece for the first time again.

Bravo! Dame Gillian. Beethoven stated that in his opinion, the organist who is master of the instrumeny, is the chiefest of musicians. Amen. He should know as he began his career as an organist.

Superb in every way. Best ever interpretation. Gillian is simply the best. Although, Diana Bish is a close second.

that people care to play and listen to this is clear proof of the Divine

I was thinking that the section immediately before the big toccata (before the B pedal point and chords above) could use a stronger beat. It was sounding a little chaotic and random. Like a big bunch of birds happily singing away in an aviary. Wait a minute. This is Messiaen! Maybe that was the idea . . . Brilliant performance.

Had this record between some others with my first turntable when i was 6. I was playing THIS record endlessly..

Ik ben de Alpha en de Omega, Ik ben het Begin en het Einde. Buiten mij is er geen GOD. Zonder Mij is er geen Leven. In de muziek van Olivier Messiaen voel je de intense aanwezigheid van GOD.

GILLIAN gives me hope

4:35 the last 3 chords 🤯🖤🖤

since gillian weir studied with messiaen, i believe she knows what she is doing.

Shit I can't stop watching it.

Gott ist nur ein herrliches und beruhigendes Konzept, aber ich bewundere manchmal die Taten, die Schriften und Lieder der Männer und Frauen, deren Inspirator er ist

Bellissimo!

Gillian is playing brilliant Of course a lot discussion about the tempo but she is making brilliant music anyway. Messians biggest inspiration where the birds. and with that fact on the background is this tempo not to fast. there is a lot of fine toucher and rest in the way she plays. Its God Almaigty who is coming down .... that means power glory and light and thats wat Gillians intrepetaition is telling.

Comme me disait un ami, lors d'un concert où cette oeuvre était jouée : "C'est sponsorisé par Ronron, car c'est Dieu par Minou."

Many consider this piece the ultimate synthesis of Messiaen's deep, reverent, and poetic Catholic mysticism plus the rythmecist blossoming within the soul of his genius. However, this is a relatively early work compared the later L' Ascension Suite, (Transports de Joie) but all the sheer magnificence, rythmic drive, dynamics, use of "color" in the Modes of limited Transposition are there.

Bravissima!

Brava!! An absolutely magnificent performance by Dame Gillian on a perfect instrument for the piece (the only better one - perhaps - being the CC organ at La Trinité). I'm only sorry that whoever was behind the camera chose to wander all over the building rather than focus on her extraordinary playing (this is an organ work, not an architecture documentary - please!). I hope footage exists of her playing the rest of this marvellous work. Thank you for sharing this absolute treat!

The central part (on 8+4 stops, mixture in the pedal) is, musically speaking, the climax of this piece, and very well rendered in its restlessness. The final "toccata" is indeed played a bit fast, especially given the acoustics of St Ouen, but the extraordinary sound of the organ and the maestria of the organist make me conclude, "so be it".

soli deo gloria

Simon Preston, Marilyn Keiser and Gillian Weir are the authorities on this composer. Joan Lippincott can also be included here. The latter is equally versed in Alains works.

Derek - definitely not your typical hymn arrangement you would hear at a Sunday morning service. The 4th Sunday after Christmas the organist at our church played this on the recession as clergy and choir left the stalls. La Nativitie is about the nativity of the Christ child. Only one piece in the whole work is about the future crucifixion and that is almost the same piece that appears in L'Ascension. The rest relate to the word of god, shepherds, angels etc... Our organist played all of the pieces from the collection. Children of god was always played on Christmas day on the procession into the stalls. This piece as I understood was about the flight to Egypt and Christ being the greater glory to god in the final chords. Yes Messiaen was a devout catholic and each piece was prefaced by a passage from the bible. Note I am not preaching doctrine hear as I am now an atheist, but I do love a great piece of organ music when I hear it especially when you get a toccata like this at the end regardless of the reglious connection or not. I used to turn the pages for the organist as well to this and one year the copy fell off of the reading ledge. ArghHH!

To play on my funerals. Marc D'Hoore.

Uitstekende opname van "Dieu parmi nous" van de onvergetelijke Olivier Messiaen. Deze diepgelovige man wist/weet met zijn weergaloze muziek de diepste (religieuze) gevoelens in je los te maken. In deze muziek voel, hoor en ervaar je de tegenwoordigheid van GOD: "Ik ben de Alpha en de Omega. Ik ben het Begin en het Einde. Zonder mij is er geen leven".

Messiaen's take on the title seems to be missed by many. Since the Victorian illusion of the LBJ in a manger is sugar coated, this idea that God is on earth walking around, is a frightening idea which is no longer in the modern person's thinking.

Hi for All here who want to slow down use SoundSourgeon or Transcribe or Audacity (free) and easily You can slow down the piece withot almost loose nothing of it...

Video: Klang- u. Bild-Übermittlung sehr eindrucksvoll !

tempo is quite good.

You're right.

Io avrei paura suonare tutto solo in una chiesa immensa! Scerzi a parte so che si vuole restaurare il Cavaillè di Rouen. Bravi. I vostri organi sono inimitabili. Neanche i moderni hanno timbri come i vostri. Pensare cghe aristide avrebbe voluto regalare un organo a San Pietro. Poi non so se non l'hanno voluto o se le guerre l'hanno impedito. Peccato ne avremmo avuto uno in Italia

I know it can be hard to see the beautiful side in this kind of music. I was actually thinking like you a few years ago. And I still consider some of Messiaen's other compositions too difficult to "accept". But for others like this one, with the right rendition and atmosphere, it trully becomes an enlightment. It's not Vierne or Widor, it's a different language. It's somehow a musical description of a very deep feeling. Come back on this page in a few years from now and I hope you'll see ... :-)

bello misterioso mistico

would this be hard to learn Miss Weir

I adore Dame Gillian Weir. That said, I do wish she'd played this about 20% more slowly, so that the fabulous elements of this great work could have been enjoyed by all listeners. She, intimately aligned with the work, knew ever nuance. But to those trying to take it all in within the enormous acoustical confines of St. Ouen are left to wonder at what "might have been heard." I'm sorry, honestly, to take any sort of negative stance in Ms. Weir's performance, as I do so deeply admire her. However, if rendered a little more "majestically", this recording would, in my own personal opinion, have been even more wonderful than it already is.

That bass¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡

I love this video. I have a question: This organ does not have any electric help for stop changes. Did she do the stop changes by herself, or is the video been cut by these parts?

The other thing Dr Weir can do is drive a MEAN car!!!

From 0:35 I know now where I like trip-hop from..

This is a good performance. However, I really prefer those performances where those five epic chords (heard here between 7:17 and 7:21) are drawn out to two or three seconds each, and allowed to reverberate. I'm not sure if this is incorrect or not, but it really makes a far more effective end of this piece for me. I can't imagine that Messiaen intended these amazing chords to be the cute little things Ms Weir plays here. They should bring the roof down!

@TrombaMilitare16 you really have to be open minded to like all of bachs stuff. i will admit i dont like all of bachs stuff i only like some. no matter what every composer is a genious. my favorite piece is the widor 6th symphony allegro. that piece has so much dynamic and so much stuff in it its truely a masterpiece.

Messiaen on this instrument is interesting. I won't say I dislike it, but the ending Toccata IS a bit too fast - not necessarily because of any musical reason, but because the Barker machines can have a hard time keeping up at that pace. One of Cavaille-Coll's few failings - exhaust-based pneumatics are much faster than the traditional Barker lever.

It's Jordan Rudess!

I know an organist likely her face especially with that darker hair playing duprevariation noel

Messiaen is perhaps more enjoyable for a musician to play, than leaning back and listen to, I guess. But this is great music, no doubt, and excellent performed

@TrombaMilitare16 well yea. him to

No matter how well any electronic audio amplifiers are made, still no match to an actual pipe organ of any kind.

@64ftContraBombarde then can you explain to me what hes trying to do?

Wonderful recital, but as others have said, it's a bit rushed, particularly in that space.

Great thing about these dissonant pieces is if you're playing the wrong notes, nobody's gonna know :-^