Olivier
Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time was
conceived in a fascinating way and is the perfect piece to end this month’s
discussion on “Music and War.”
Did
you know that after called upon for military service at the beginning of WWII,
Messiaen was captured and taken as prisoner of war? During his time at the POW
camp, he certainly did not waste any time! He wrote the Quartet for the End of Time on paper supplied by a German officer
who made sure no one bothered the composer while he worked!
Messiaen
only had a tattered violin, clarinet, cello, and piano at his disposal so it
was for these instruments that he wrote. The work is eight movements in length
and inspired by passages found in Revelation. Messiaen uses irregular meter,
palindromes, and his token bird calls throughout the work. The title reflects
the work’s purpose, to depict the end of time and beginning of eternity.
The Quartet for the End of Time was originally
premiered at the POW camp for fellow prisoners on a cold January night in 1941.
You can hear a performance of this work below:
We’ve
talked about music inspired by war throughout the month. Do you have a
particular favorite that moves you personally?
