Olivier Messiaen: Quatour pour la Fin du Temps
Luben Yordanoff, violin
Albert Tetard, cello
Claude Desurmont, clarinet
Daniel Barenboim, piano
1979. Deutsche Grammophon (20th. Century Classics) 423 247-2 GC midprice
French composer Olivier Messiaen (1908-92) stands out as one of the most influential and original composers of our century. Through his works of music and his teachings in composition he has left a mark upon several of the post-war era's most prominent names in contemporary music.Through a series of seminaries in Darmstadt, Germany, Messiaen tutored composers such as Pierre Boulez, Luigi Nono, Karl-Heinz Stockhausen and György Ligeti. Despite the tendency towards a very strict form of serialism evident in the works of his students, Messiaen himself rarely abandoned tonality altogether. The Quatour which was written prior to the meeting of what was to become the Darmstad-group, is firmly based in tonality, with Messiaen's unique and highly personal style.
The Quartet for the End of
Time (1940) was written during what must have been a time of terror, uncertainty
and anguish for the composer, who at the time was a prisoner of war in
a German War-camp in Silesia (Poland). Under these conditions the work
was concieved and finaly premiered by Messiaen himself and three other
inmates before a public of 5000 fellow prisoners. Messiaen have later stated
that "Never have I been heard with so much attention and understanding".
One can only hope to catch
glimpses of the profoundity this concert must have been surrounded by,
and the prevailing air of despair explains atleast partially the apocalyptic
moods of the work.
The
Quartet consists of eight movements, all of which bear Messiaen's profoundly
sacral markings in in their titles as well as in their musical content.
The work is balanced between the at times raging and horrifyingly apocalyptic
parts, and the peaceful etheric visions of the great beyonds; The Louange-movements
stive in their intense calmness towards the vision of eternity, so central
in Messiaen's opus. This recording was made in Paris in 1978, with the
composer present, and was released with his authorization. There aren't
too many recordings of this work available, and I personally know only
two. The other one is a recommendable release from Philips with Vera Beths,
George Pieterson, Anner Bijlsma and Reinbert de Leeuw. This recording is
generously coupled with Messiaen's "Et Expecto Resurrectionem Mortuorum"
(And I await the resurrection of the dead), in Philips Solo series. However
I would go with the Deutsche Grammophon recording due to its brilliance,
directness and insight. The sound and air in this early style of Messiaen's
is quite simply better served on what seems, atleast to me, a level more
grand and perhaps even estranged. For those of you who have not yet encountered
the music of Olivier Messiaen, I would not hesitate to recommend it most
strongly, and the Quartet is a perfect work for that encounter.
© 1998 Arne.Mork@hum.uit.no
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