Het Quator pour la Fin du Temps schreef Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) rond 1940 in krijgsgevangenschap in Görlitz voor een bezetting met klarinet, cello en viool, omdat die instrumenten door drie medegevangenen en tevens muzikanten werden bespeeld, terwijl Messiaen zelf de piano voor zijn rekening kon nemen. Dit werk, geïnspireerd op het tiende hoofdstuk van de Openbaring uit het Nieuwe Testament, werd voor het eerst uitgevoerd op 15 januari 1941 in het krijgsgevangenkamp van Görlitz. Dit achtdelige stuk is behoorlijk weerbarstig om naar te luisteren, laat staan om te spelen, maar de vriendenclub van topmusici weet hier alle soorten van emoties tot klinken te brengen in prachtig samenspel. En er wordt adembenemend gesoleerd, bijvoorbeeld door Martin Fröst in het voor soloklarinet geschreven derde deel.
Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du temps
Martin Fröst (clarinet), Lucas Debargue (piano), Janine Jansen (violin), Torlief Thedeen (cello)
The playing is flawless but still deep-felt, unflinching in the white heat of the Dance of Fury, intently hushed in the Abyss of the Birds, fervent in both tender Louanges. — The Guardian, 26th October 2017, ****
Presenting Messiaen's most original and poignant chamber work recorded by this sensational quartet: Martin Fröst, Lucas Debargue, Janine Jansen and Torleif Thedeen. One of the most original chamber works: Olivier Messiaen is one of the great composers of the 20th century and the Quartet for the End of Time is probably his greatest chamber work. The album pushes all kinds of boundaries, first of all through its genesis in a concentration camp, through the unusual combination of the instruments, and then through the performance by Martin Fröst himself who is known for pushing musical & technical boundaries: "There is something approaching the supernatural about his command of his instrument,” said The New York Times. A very personal recording: Martin Fröst and Janine Jansen first met 16 years ago and the first piece they ever played together was the Quartet for the End of Time. Torleif Thedeen was also part of that group. This piece left them with a deep sense of connection, and now they record it together for the first time. Janine Jansen, internationally recognized as one of the great violinists and known as a “crowd pleaser", regularly receives standing ovations from enthusiastic audiences. Lucas Debargue, who became famous overnight after causing a sensation at the 2015 Tchaikovsky Competition, enjoys widespread popularity. Opportunity to promote the album through a small tour with the Quartet, starting in Barcelona and culminating in NYC at Carnegie Hall. The work was composed and first performed at a Nazi concentration camp in 1941 while Messiaen was a prisoner. It is scored for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano, reflecting the players Messiaen had available to him at this time. Messiaen, a devout Catholic, based the work on the language and imagery of the apocalypse (Book of Revelation) where time is forever abolished.
