The 1956 recording of Messiaen’s most famous work, with the composer himself at the piano. Mine is a 1971 re-release, with what I think was reconstructed stereo. The record from 1956 was in mono. As I described earlier, this work was written when Messiaen was imprisoned in Stalag VIII A in Silesia during the war. He was there with, among others, the cellist on this record.
After playing it for the other inmates, the German guards let them go. The music had saved them: they were thereafter viewed as musician-soldiers and released as noncombatants. This was Messiaen’s ticket back to France.