L'ascension


L'Ascension is a piece for orchestra, composed by Olivier Messiaen in 1932–33. Messiaen described it as "4 meditations for orchestra".
The orchestral piece is in four brief sections:
  1. Majesté du Christ demandant sa gloire à son Père
  2. Alleluias sereins d’une âme qui désire le ciel
  3. Alleluia sur la trompette, alleluia sur la cymbale
  4. Prière du Christ montant vers son Père
A complete performance takes around 27 minutes.

Instrumentation

The work is orchestrated as follows:
Woodwinds
Brass
Percussion
Strings

Organ version

In 1933–34, Messiaen made a version for solo organ. The first, second and fourth movements are arrangements of the orchestral pieces, but Messiaen composed a new third movement, Transports de joie d'une âme devant la gloire du Christ qui est la sienne, usually just known as Transports de joie..