Illuminations on the Afterlife - Part 2, VII to XI is the second part of this religious orchestral piece by Olivier Messiaen composed between 1987 and 1991. This conductor edition features the movements VII to XI of the orchestra.

VII. Et Dieu essuiera toute larme de leurs yeux (And God will dry the tears from their eyes)
VIII. Les étoiles et la Gloire (Stars and Glory)
IX. Plusieurs oiseaux des arbres de vie (Birds from trees of life)
X. Le chemin de lInvisible (Path to the Invisible)
XI. Le Christ, lumière du Paradis (Christ, light of the Paradise)

The full orchestra lasts approximately one hour and was commissioned by the New York Symphonic Orchestra. It incorporates some birdsong from Oceania and some modes of limited transposition.

Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) was a French organist and composer passionate about Ornithology and one of the most important composers of his century. Inspired by Japanese music, he had a very special way of composing and his work can be identified by its complexity, its diatonic aspect, its harmony with limited transposition, its colour and its additive rhythms. He composed many works related to ornithology and birdsong, including the 'Bird Catalogue' in 7 volumes and the 'Treatise on rhythm, colour and ornithology' in 7 volumes.