The premiere of Messiaen's Quatuor pour la fin du Temps took place in January 1941 in a prisoner-of-war camp, Stalag VIII A, with the composer and fellow prisoners as performers.
Compositional Technique
Messiaen's Quatuor pour la fin du Temps features an unusual instrumentation of violin, clarinet, cello, and piano, chosen due to the circumstances of its creation in a POW camp.
Performer Biography
The Trio Messiaen, formed in 2014, consists of three young soloists who are graduates of the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris and prizewinners of prestigious competitions.
Composition History
Olivier Messiaen's Quatuor pour la fin du Temps was composed during World War II while he was a prisoner of war in Stalag VIII A, a German camp.
Compositional Technique
Messiaen's Quatuor pour la fin du Temps employs advanced rhythmic techniques such as 'added value' and 'non-retrogradable rhythms' (rhythmic palindromes), as well as 'modes of limited transposition' for harmonic color.
Recording & Production
This album, the first recording by the Trio Messiaen in this formation, was recorded in December 2017 in Mons, Belgium.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Messiaen's Quatuor pour la fin du Temps is inspired by the theme of the Apocalypse, specifically a passage from the Book of Revelation about the end of time.
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