Messiaen's "Quatuor pour la fin du temps" was composed while he was a prisoner of war in Stalag VIII-A, a German POW camp, during World War II.
Notable Performances
The premiere of Messiaen's "Quatuor pour la fin du temps" took place in a prisoner-of-war camp hut on January 15, 1941, to an audience of about four hundred people.
Composition History
"Le merle noir" (The Blackbird) was composed in 1952 as a test piece for the flute class at the Paris Conservatoire.
Composition History
The first movement of Messiaen's "Quatuor pour la fin du temps" was composed for a trio of fellow prisoners and rehearsed in the camp's washrooms.
Composition History
Messiaen wrote "Thème et variations" in 1932 as a wedding present for his new bride, Claire Delbos, a talented musician.
Composition History
The "Fantaisie" for violin and piano was long considered lost until it was rediscovered among Messiaen's papers by Yvonne Loriod-Messiaen and published in 2007.
Compositional Technique
Messiaen's "Thème et variations" was his first piece of instrumental chamber music, and its dedication to his wife was expressed in musical notation.
You might also enjoy...
Messiaen: Chamber Works
Messiaen: Chamber Music
Voices
Saariaho: Chamber Works for Strings, Vol. 1
The Adaskin Collection, Vol. 3
The Complete Musical Heritage Society Recordings
Lundby-Jaeger, B.: Chamber Music and Songs - Offertorium / 7 Stages To 3 Chinese Texts / Trio / Elements / 3 Songs
For Seasons
True North
Andrew Anderson: Chamber Works
Multiple Views from a Window
Limitless
Togni, C.: 3 Studies On Morts Sans Sepulture / Flute Sonata / Violin Sonata / String Trio (Ex Novo Ensemble)
