Messiaen’s farewell to the organ, the Livre du Saint Sacrement, was composed in 1984‑85 to a commission from the American Guild of Organists. Many of its ideas were inspired by a visit to Israel in the spring of 1984. The first performance was given by Almut Rössler in Detroit in 1986. Messiaen spoke of this Book of the Blessed Sacrament as a summation of the experience gained from improvising each Sunday at the Eglise de la Saint-Trinité in Paris, where he was organist for over 60 years. There is no shortage of familiar Messiaenic thumbprints: dislocated ideas, meandering dribbles of plainsong, chirpy birdsong, slow, development-less sudden and spectacular bolts of anger; and those endlessly messy chords that desperately need to resolve.

Playing from memory, Bonaventure takes just under two hours, slightly longer than Olivier Latry at Notre-Dame (DG, 5/02). Movements 1-4 serve as a prelude or ante-Communion. Movements 5-11 follow events in the life of Jesus, and 12-18 contemplate the mysteries of the Sacrament.

This uneven, over-long piece poses considerable challenges to both player and listener, there being few moments of comfortable repose. The more athletic passages (for example in the Alleluia final – originally entitled “La Visitation”) bounce along with a redeeming joy.

Despite the generous acoustic the Rieger organ is recorded cleanly. It is especially effective in the echo effects in the short fourth movement, “Acte de Foi”.