At the age of nine French pianist Bertrand Chamayou experienced an epiphany, in the truest sense of the word, when he read and heard Olivier Messiaen’s Vingt Regards sur L’Enfant-Jésus. “It proved a formative shock, a revelation that significantly swayed my course. Besides whiling away the hours attempting to emulate Messiaen’s style, I think it fair to say that Regards, this boundless conceptual realm written for piano, partially shaped my way of playing, my sound, my perception of artistry.”

Now, more than 30 years afterwards, Chamayou has added this Himalayan keyboard masterpiece to his already impressive discography, bringing to it all his intelligence, understanding and formidable technique. The result is insightful, often revelatory, and the feeling is palpable that he is completely at one with this music. The double disc set is neatly framed by short works by five composers, including Toru Takemitsu and György Kurtág, who were directly influenced by Messiaen.

The Vingts Regards itself comes in at a little over two hours, which is faster than...