Saint Francis of Assisi is an opera in 3 acts by Olivier Messiaen. This first volume is focused on the Act 1 – 1. La croix 2. Les laudes 3. Le baiser au lépreux. It depicts the moments when Saint Francis explains what is the 'Perfect Joy' according to the love of the Christ his request to God to meet a leper and to be able to love him and finally his meeting with a leper assisted by an Angel. The leper is cured from this meeting. 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 played at the Paris Opera in 1983. Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) was a French organist and composer passionate about Ornithology 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 limited transposition 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.

Missa B-flat Major Hob.XXII:14 'Harmony Mass'Urtext from: Joseph Haydn WerkeIt is well known that Joseph Haydn wrote his late masses to the commission of his last employer Prince Nicolaus II Esterhazy. The 'Harmoniemesse' is the last of these high masses all of which probably received their first performances in celebration of the name-day of Princess Maria Josepha Hermenegild the prince's wife. The present work was given for the first time on 8 September 1802 in the Bergkirche at Eisenstadt Haydn himself conducting.Haydn entitled his work simply 'Missa'. The work has acquired the name 'Harmoniemesse' by reason ofthe prominent parts given to the wind instruments ('Harmonie' being a contemporary name for a wind band); the nickname did not become established until the late nineteenth century.Full score and parts (BA4659) vocal score (BA4659-90) and study score format 22.5 x 16.5cm (TP97) available for sale.