The british ensemble the fibonacci sequence tackles the quartet with. Messiaen, o quartet for the end of time theme and variations. Classical as a classical orchestral and chamber musician, erika brings heartfelt, focused playing to every performance. Abroad violin solo, balancing the cello solo of the fifth movement. Jul 07, 2014 i couldnt have been alone in my trepidation regarding the decision to record messiaen s 50minute masterpiece after only one day of rehearsals as a quartet, the maximum amount of time that our schedules and atlantic oceandivided living situations would permit. The folio had languished on a low, dusty shelf for years, never checked out, and i, a scavenger delighting in all things offbeat and obscure, pounced on the composition. Stephen johnson is joined by members of fibonacci sequence for a detailed exploration of messiaen s wartime piece, quartet for the end of time, with pianist kathron sturrock, violinist jack. The quartet for the end of time is perhaps the first of messiaen s works in which the contrast between movements becomes truly extreme. The quartet for the end of time was written in its entirety while messiaen was a.
It is directly inspired by this excerpt from the revelation of st. Especially striking to hear it played by the presidents own, as an inversion of power, expression amidst imprisonment vs. Cello, clarinet, piano, violin sheet music book by olivier messiaen 19081992. The british ensemble the fibonacci sequence tackles the quartet with expertise. Written for the full quartet, the opening movement begins with the solo clarinet.
Messiaen wrote most of it after being captured as a french soldier during the german invasion of 1940. Olivier messiaen, tashi quartet, peter serkin, richard stolzman, ida kavafian, fred sherry messiaen. Recent performances include brahms and tchaikovskys sextets, schuberts trout quintet, and mozarts clarinet quintet with fellow faculty at national music camp of canada. Messiaens quartet for the end of time bbc music magazine. It is thought that hunger resulted in kinesthesia, messiaen s ability to see musical sounds as. It is not hard to imagine why this might be, given the works famous origins, written while messiaen was a prisoner of war at the nazis stalag viiia camp.
Ive yet to hear an ineffective recording of the quartet for the end of time. List of compositions by olivier messiaen wikipedia. Youll find a wide selection of olivier messiaen sheet music, songbooks, and music books at sheet music plus. The two videos below are just a tiny glimpse of a massive work. This is a list of compositions by olivier messiaen. The compositions by olivier messiaen include works for chamber ensemble, orchestra, vocal music, music for piano and organ, as well as some of the earliest electronic music, with his use of the ondes martenot in several of his compositions. Near the beginning of world war ii messiaen was summoned for military service. Quartet for the end of time and the archduke paquito drivera, clarinet rieko aizawa, piano jesse mills, violin.
Quartet to the end of time meetingpoint music messiaen e. The piece was first performed by messiaen and fellow prisoners for an audience of inmates and prison guards. The quartets unique instrumentation of piano, clarinet, violin, and cello was written for, and premiered by messiaen and three fellow inmates while in detention. Crypt sessions quartet for the end of time berkshire. The work premiered in a prisoner of war camp during the second world war. Taking his title from a slight mistranslation of revelation 10. Messiaen, a devout catholic, drew his title and musical imagery from revelations 10. Mar 28, 2015 olivier messiaen quartet for the end of time best version. The compositions by olivier messiaen include works for chamber ensemble, orchestra, vocal music, music for piano and organ, as well as some of the earliest electronic music, with his use of the ondes martenot in several of his. Ockay this is one of my favorite but not as good as turangalila symphony but its so gloom and doom, the atmosphere is sinister yet pleasant, i dont consider messiaen easy lisening but once you understand him you dig is geneous, it may take time but you will eventually feel his work not. Messiaens quartet for the end of time steven osborne. Messiaens ultimate act of faith, his quartet for the end of time. Heres another good one, played by the members of the gould piano trio, joined by clarinetist robert plane.
Janice webers formidable playing is astounding, her subtle, nearlyinaudible pianissimos ethereal. The composer was olivier messiaen, the work quartet for the end of time. Etienne pasquier, cellist, and myself at the piano. Messiaens quartet for the end of time is written for a quartet, but the instrumentation is beyond normal. Music for the end of time by michael linton articles. The unusual combination of piano, clarinet, violin and cello, reflecting.
Olivier messiaen quartet for the end of time best version. Olivier messiaen sheet music and music books at sheet. It addresses more specifically the second aspect of jesus jesus the man, the word made flesh, raised from the dead and immortalized to make his life known to us. The piece is scored for clarinet in bflat, violin, cello, and piano. Rebecca rischin, author of for the end of time ongaku recording tops them all the recent release of messiaens quartet for the end of time is spectacular both in performance and sound quality. Conceived and written in the course of my captivity, the quartet for the end of time was performed for the first time in stalag 8a on january 15, 1941, by jean le boulaire, violinist. I originally wrote this paper as part of my mus 195 senior project. This most famous of messiaens works had a moving performance in a setting that resonated with crystal liturgy. This large work for chamber ensemble was conceived after the composer was taken prisoner by the nazis during the fall of france. The clarinetist is fortunate to have a wealth of repertoire that spans three hundred years. Sep 17, 2014 olivier messiaen, quartet for the end of time v. These chords, faraway chimes, surround the plainchantlike melody of the violin and cello.
Aug 03, 2009 messiaen s quartet for the end of time was once considered so difficult that it was rarely performed, but the technical competence and musical confidence of players has advanced so far in the half century since its composition that exceptionally fine recordings have become commonplace. Olivier messiaen was born in avignon, france on december 10, 1908, and so in 2008 we celebrate his centennial. Oliver messiaen, gil shaham, paul meyer, jian wang, myungwhun chung messiaen. The quartet came out of, and was originally performed in, very particular circumstances. Olivier messiaens quartet for the end of time, which cellist yoyo ma. The piece premiered on january 15, 1941, at the stalag viiia prisonerofwar camp, in gorlitz, germany, where the composer had been confined since his capture in may. Janice webers formidable playing is astounding, her. Jan 19, 2015 the title end of time comes from the cheery, lighthearted book of revelation in the bible messiaen was hardcore roman catholic, and the quartet is in 8 completely contrasting movements. Just the violin part to the 8th movement of the quartet for the end of time by olivier messiaen. He wrote it during his imprisonment at a german camp, the instruments the only ones available. We had the freedom to choose any aspect of music to write a report on as well as give.
Messiaens quartet for the end of time was once considered so difficult that it was rarely performed, but the technical competence and musical confidence of players has advanced so far in the half century since its composition that exceptionally fine recordings have become commonplace. Erato ensemble presents quatuor pour le fin du temps movement v. Olivier messiaen, quartet for the end of time 194041 history. Rhythm and birdsong in quartet for the end of time camelia brown writers comment. He was a composer, organist, and renowned teacher, and one of the most significant french musicians of his generation.
Quartet for the end of time, quartet in eight movements for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano by french composer olivier messiaen. Andrew ousleys remarkable concert cocktail evenings at the crypt presented olivier messiaens quartet for the end of time. The quartet for the end of time is perhaps the first of messiaens works in. Thus remembered the french composer olivier messiaen. Olivier messiaen quartet for the end of time lyrics. Quartet for the end of time work by messiaen britannica. Messiaens quartet for the end of time baryshnikov arts.
A remarkable film by moon, on messiaens transcendental masterpiece quartet for the end of time. Quartet for the end of time 8th movement sheet music for. Quartet for the end of time 1941 olivier messiaen expresses his deep faith in a timeless musical composition, which he wrote and premiered while in confinement at a prisonerofwar camp in germany. Olivier messiaens quartet for the end of time, with its grandly singing lines and. The premiere took place in an unheated space in barrack 27. The quartet for the end of time is perhaps the first of messiaens works in which the contrast between movements becomes truly extreme. Works are listed initially by genre and can be sorted chronologically by clicking on the date header. The following list is by no means all inclusive, but it is a starting point for clarinetists to begin to explore the diverse and rewarding works which have. Messiaens quartet for the end of time baryshnikov arts center. Messiaens quartet is the most ethereally beautiful music of the twentieth century the new yorker. We had the freedom to choose any aspect of music to write a report on as well as give a presentation to a panel of peers and professors.
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