In 1929, Olivier Messiaen finished composing his Préludes. The first original work for piano of a twenty-one-year-old composer, it would be the first to be included in his official catalogue.

This collection of Messiaen’s, an early work, written as a tribute to his mother, who died prematurely in 1927, offers a unique insight into his writing: a poetic universe coloured by a spatial concept of sound, a refined and sensual sense of legato, and a subtle, understated way with rhythm: these are the many beacons that will guide us in our approach.

Messiaen, a true synesthete, associates different colours to each of his preludes.

• Introduction and notes on interpretation in French and English by Edmond Lemaitre.
• New engraving.