La Nativité du Seigneur, 9 meditations, I/14

La Nativité du Seigneur, neuf méditations pour orgue (The Birth of the Lord, nine meditations for organ) is a suite for organ written by the French composer Olivier Messiaen in 1935 in Grenoble. The work is a testament to Messiaen's Roman Catholic faith. It is divided into nine "meditations" inspired by the birth of Jesus. In volume one, Messiaen outlines his inspirations, theological, instrumental and compositional. As the composer notes in his preface, he sought "the emotion and sincerity first". The work was written by the composer at the age of 26, during the summer of 1935 while he was in residence at Grenoble near the French Alps. Messiaen wrote that in addition to theology, the movements were inspired by the mountains, as well as the stained glass windows in medieval cathedrals. The work's premiere on 27 February 1936 on the organ of La Trinité, Paris, where Messiaen was titular organist; had the work split among three players: Jean-Yves Daniel-Lesur (1–3), Jean Langlais (4–6), and Jean-Jacques Grunenwald (7–9). Messiaen would follow up with another organ cycle, Les corps glorieux, in 1939.