Quartet for the End of Time at The Hub
Principal musicians from the London Symphony Orchestra perform this 20th-century masterpiece.
Olivier Messiaen wrote his Quatuor pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the End of Time) during 1940–41 while he was a prisoner-of-war in Germany. Its visionary music – alternately dramatic and serene – shows that sublime art can be created in even the most adverse circumstances. Its 1941 premiere deeply moved Messiaen’s fellow prisoners. He wrote later that ‘Never was I listened to with such rapt attention and comprehension’. Highlights include vivid evocations of birdsong, a wild dance representing the apocalypse, and the ecstatic conclusion, of which the composer wrote ‘it is all love’.
The programme will also feature two adventurous dance-infused sonatas by Eugène Ysaÿe, performed by virtuoso violinist Roman Simovic.
Supported by Sir Ewan and Lady Brown together with Flure Grossart
Roman Simovic Violin
David Cohen Cello
Christopher Richards Clarinet
Alexei Grynyuk Piano
Eugène Ysaÿe Sonata No 2 in A minor Op 27
Eugène Ysaÿe Sonata No 3 in D minor Op 27
Olivier Messiaen Quartet for the End of Time
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