Heaven and Earth: Messiaen and Mahler | Philharmonia Britannica

The immensely colourful four 'symphonic meditations' by Messiaen called L'Ascension are, as he said himself, "at the service of the dogmas of Catholic theology". That is evidenced by his exploration of plainsong, but he goes much further than one might expect by using birdsong and Hindu thythms. Originally for organ the music is intense and intensely religious.

In Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde there are is a strong Eastern philosophical influence throughout the work, which is based on translations of Chinese poetry. It is a symphony in all but name - Mahler not wishing to call it his 9th symphony due to superstition.