A favorite Oliver Messiaen recording

Here is the big question: what "Quartet for the end of time" do you like best? There are so many great ones.

Excellent question. I am partial to the solo organ works; my favorite being Marie-Claire Alain "La Nativite Du Seigneur" (1988 Erato). It has that etherial quality with multiple radical breaks into that 'the Divine glory' sound he does so well, like the skies are erupting and at any minute a horde of flaming angels will swoop down and saturate the earth with molten gold and feathers. It never does though!

Yes, I have the Berhoff too on vinyl, which is very emotive and quite articulate.

I also like the Eduard Brunner (on teldec) and the Walter Boeykens (on harmonia mundi) which I only have on CD, so I don't listen to them that much. The performances are outstanding and I am not really sure I have a clear cut favorite among the three. They all have about the same range. Not an extraordinarily different set of performances I think. All grade A, maybe not A+.