Saint Francois D'Assise is an opera in 3 acts by Olivier Messiaen. This volume is focused on the Act II - 6. Le Prêche Aux Oiseaux which depicts a moment when he preached to the birds, in Assisi. Saint Francis gives the birds his benediction to which they answer by a Concerto. 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. / Chant Et Piano

Saint Francois D'Assise is an Opera in three acts by Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992). Written in 1972 to 1983, it concerns the Catholic preacher, Saint Francis of Assisi, and displays the composer's devout Catholic faith. The third volume contains the complete third act of the Opera, comprising the final two scenes - Stigma, and Death and New Life. Despite his studies of Mozart and Wagner's operas, Messiaen vowed that he would never compose one himself, however, he was eventually convinced by the French president. After feeling unworthy to dramatise either Christ's Passion or Resurrection, he eventually chose to portray the life of Saint Francis of Assisi, whose life often reflected Christ's chastity, humility, poverty and suffering. This unique Opera by the individual Messiaen is a significant contribution to the repertoire, and was notably semi-staged as part of the BBC proms series in 2008. / Chant Et Piano