Messiaen, O.: Quatour Pour La Fin Du Temps / Theme and Variations / Les Offrandes Oubliees

Featuring

Benjamin Frith
Lucy Gould
Robert Plane
Alice Neary
Gould Piano Trio
Olivier Messiaen

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Composition History

Messiaen composed parts of the Quatuor pour la fin du Temps using existing music, adapting sections from earlier works like Fête des belles eaux and the organ Diptyque.

Compositional Technique

The Quatuor pour la fin du Temps is prefaced by a quotation from the Book of Revelation, which describes a mighty angel announcing that 'There shall be Time no longer'.

Composition History

Olivier Messiaen's Quatuor pour la fin du Temps (Quartet for the end of Time) was composed during World War II and first performed in a prisoner-of-war camp.

Historical Context

Messiaen was called up to the army in September 1939 and later taken prisoner by the Germans in May-June 1940, leading to his internment in Stalag VIIIA.

Compositional Technique

In Thème et variations, a trill on a high E by the violin is a private joke, as 'Mi' (the French note E) was Messiaen's affectionate nickname for his wife, Claire.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Les Offrandes oubliées, subtitled 'symphonic meditation', is explained by Messiaen's poetic prologue about Christ's sacrifice and humanity's sin, connecting the music to 'The Cross', 'Sin', and 'The Eucharist'.