Aged only 24, Messiaen originally wrote his sublime work, L’Ascension, for the organ. Each of its four movements reflect an astounding command of composition, the last of which, Prière du Christ, literally carries us up as it ascends towards the heavenly father. Mahler’s Symphony No.1, Titan, is also the work of a young man. Between January and April 1888, the composer sat at his desk gathering together drafts of his music, some dating back to 1885.  Confiding that he had put his all into this work, he was confident it would meet with success. Out of all his symphonies, his First does in fact remain one of his most appealing and widely performed. Simply a stroke of genius!