La Nativité du Seigneur

La Nativité du Seigneur, neuf méditations pour orgue (The Birth of the Lord, nine meditations for organ) is an important work for organ, written by the French composer Olivier Messiaen in 1935 in Grenoble.

[1] It is a testament to Messiaen's Roman Catholic faith, being divided into nine "meditations" inspired by the birth of Jesus.

[2] The work was written by the composer at the age of 26 years during the summer of 1935 while he was in residence at Grenoble near the French Alps.

[3] Messiaen wrote that in addition to theology, the movements were inspired by the mountains, as well as the stained glass windows in medieval cathedrals.

[5] The work is one of the earliest to feature elements that were to become key to Messiaen's later compositions, such as the extensive use of the composer's own modes of limited transposition, as well as influence from birdsong, and the meters and rhythms of Ancient Greek and traditional Indian music.