Messiaen Quartet

Description

Markus Stange, Piano
Florian Schüle, Clarinet
Duru Seong, Violin
Hugo Rannou, Cello Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992): Quatuor pour la fin des temps for Violin, Cello, Clarinet, and Piano A sound piece from the end of time
Olivier Messiaen's Quatuor pour la fin du Temps for Clarinet, Violin, Cello, and Piano is one of the most performed chamber music works of the 20th century. In eight movements, the composer creates a musical commentary on Revelation 10 – a work that spans apocalyptic sharpness and meditative hymns to eternity. Why this work is a miracle
Messiaen's Quartet was created during his German captivity. Captured in June 1940 near Verdun, the composer was taken to Stalag VIII A near Görlitz, in today's Zgorzelec, Poland. As a French prisoner of war, he was protected under the Geneva Convention; his situation was difficult but not life-threatening. The guard officer Karl-Albert Brüll, who was francophile and interested in art, provided him with sheet music and probation. Thus, Messiaen could compose daily. A work of deep religious substance was created, whose reference point is the vision from Revelation 10 – the angel in the rainbow announcing the end of time. Messiaen interpreted these images himself in the preface to the score as a theological foundation of the composition, not as a hallucination of a starving person. The world premiere took place on January 15, 1941, in the camp's theater hut, at minus 25 degrees Celsius, in front of about four hundred fellow prisoners. The violinist Jean Le Boulaire, the Algerian-Jewish clarinetist Henri Akoka, the cellist Étienne Pasquier on a three-stringed instrument, and Messiaen on a detuned piano performed. Since 2014, the Begegnungszentrum Maison Olivier Messiaen on the former camp site commemorates this evening. This makes this studio concert so special
Markus Stange, Professor of Piano at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe, is recognized as an expert Messiaen interpreter and already performed a studio concert in this series last season. For the evening, he is surrounded by a quartet of four musicians who explore the range of Quatuor pour la fin du Temps between meditative stretching and exalted sharpness. An emotional evening with a strong message, then and now: Even at the end of time, music offers comfort, connection, and reassurance – across all borders. "The concert was one of the best of the season. The four musicians are masters of their instruments and performed this highly demanding work at world-class level." Pforzheimer Zeitung When purchasing a discounted ticket, please show the appropriate proof of eligibility at the entrance. Organizer: Kulturbüro Singen Additional information:
Hall opening: 7:00 PM

Highlights

• Performance of Messiaen's "Quatuor pour la fin des temps"
• Featuring Markus Stange, Florian Schüle, Duru Seong, and Hugo Rannou
• World premiere in 1941

General Information

The concert takes place at the Jugendmusikschule Singen and presents the significant chamber music work by Olivier Messiaen. The piece, created during his captivity, addresses apocalyptic visions and religious themes.

Location

Schlachthausstraße 11, 78224 Singen, Germany

Hide Map

Loading map...

How to get there

Get Directions