Messiaen, Olivier (1940-1941): Quatuor pour la fin du Temps — Robson, Clark, Cohen, Schellhorn

“And I saw another mighty angel descend from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, and sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever, Who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that ’There shall be Time no longer...’, But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished.“ Extracts of the Revelation to John, chapter 10; King James Bible Uploaded in memory of the 81st anniversary of the première, Stalag VIII-A, Görlitz Compositeur : Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (10 décembre 1908 — 27 avril 1992) Clarinette : Barnaby Robson Violon : James Clark Violoncelle : David Cohen (soloists, Philharmonia Orchestra) Piano : Matthew Schellhorn Written in the Stalag VIII-A camp in Görlitz, Germany (now Zgorzelec, Poland). This is a reupload of the unavailable score video to Messiaen’s Quartet for the end of Time (sorry for the quality), made by musicanth and reuploaded by Alexander Schwarz Orloff. Please note that this video uses the Muzyka edition of the 1970s, published in the Soviet Union. This does not use the original Durand edition. The composer’s recording, with Étienne Pasquier (cellist at the première), his brother Jean Pasquier; and clarinettist André Vacellier (of the Ensemble instrumental à vent de Paris): English: Quartet for the end of Time 00:00 - I. Liturgie de cristal [Liturgy of crystal]. Bien modéré, en poudroiement harmonieux (quatuor) 02:47 - II. Vocalise, pour l’ange qui annonce la fin du Temps [Vocalise, for the angel who announces the end of Time]. Modéré - Presque lent, impalpable, lontain - Modéré (quatuor) 07:52 - III. Abîme des oiseaux [Abyss of birds]. Lent, expressif et triste - Presque vif, gai, capricieux - Lent (clarinette seule) 16:12 - IV. Intermède [Interlude]. Décidé, modéré, un peu vif (trio sans piano) 18:01 - V. Louange à l’éternité de Jésus [Praise to the eternity of Jesus]. Infiniment lent, extatique (violoncelle et piano) (Arrangement from memory of the fourth movement of the 1937 incidental suite for six ondes Martenot « Fête des belles eaux » ; 25:26 - VI. Danse de la fureur, pour les sept trompettes [Dance of the furour, for the seven trumpets]. Décidé, vigoureux, granitique, un peu vif (quatuor en unisson) 31:36 - VII. Fouillis d’arcs-en-ciel, pour l’ange qui annonce la fin du Temps [Litters of rainbows, for the angel who announces the end of Time]. Rêveur, presque lent - Robuste, modéré, un peu vif (quatuor) 38:58 - VIII. Louange à l’immortalité de Jésus [Praise to the immortality of Jesus]. Extrêmement lent et tendre, extatique (violon et piano) (Arrangement from memory of the second section ’Le paradis’ of the 1929 organ work « Diptyque : essai sur la vie terrestre et l’éternité bienheureuse » ; I advise those who seek information regarding the work to read the books of Rebecca Rischin and Anthony Pople; as there is too great of a multitude of information to speak of, which may never fit within the limits of this description without compromising a great deal. With special thanks to “Somethingness“ for backing up this video and the kind permission of Matthew Schellhorn.