In paradisum

Jean-Yves Daniel-Lesur (1908-2002) was a French organist and composer. He was a student of Charles Tournemire, which is clearly audible in this piece.

In 1935 he became a professor of counterpoint at the Schola Cantorum under its new director, Nestor Lejeune.
The following year he co-founded the group "La Jeune France" along with composers Olivier Messiaen (with whom he would remain a lifelong friend), André Jolivet and Yves Baudrier, who were attempting to re-establish a more human and less abstract form of composition. La Jeune France developed from the avant-garde chamber music society "La spirale", formed by Jolivet, Messiaen, and Daniel-Lesur the previous year.

That same year he, together with Jean Langlais and Jean-Jacques Grunenwald, gave the first performance of Olivier Messiaen's La Nativité du Seigneur.

Daniel-Lesur also served as director of the Opéra National de Paris from 1971 to 1973.