Quartet for the End of Time
Yesterday, the University where I work sponsored a performance, through the New Music Ensemble, of Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time. It is a fairly complicated piece of music written and premiered at a PoW camp in Germany (Messiaen was conscripted for the French). Messiaen wrote for violin, cello, clarinet and piano. The piece includes bird songs and is perhaps his first work to do so extensively. There are eight movements, five with the full ensemble, one with clarinet only, one as a cello/piano duet and the eighth is a violin/piano duet. Ying-Wei Sung played violin, Kathryn Lent played cello, Andrew Sprung played clarinet and Karl Larson played the piano.
One of the musicologists here, Dr. Robert Fallon, gave a presentation on the piece before the performance. He presented interesting information regarding the creation of the piece and some of Messiaen’s life in the PoW camp (even at one point alluding to Hogan’s Heroes).
No offense meant to my colleague, but the real highlight was the performance itself. I have heard much music during my tenure here, but the performers today created one of the best performances I have ever heard. It seemed as though the architect designed the space for this quartet. Given that the performance took place in the atrium of a library, with all the typical library activities continuing around it, I never felt distracted from the performance. From the beginning, the performers captured my attention and would not let it go, and I am thankful they did.
A particularly touching moment happened during the fifth movement. That movement is the cello/piano duet, and I felt that the two performers captured the essence of the music. The cellist played with assurance and a gentleness and yet intense passion I feel is necessary for that movement. The movement haunted me and I believe will stay with me forever. The artistry shown in that movement surpasses nearly every duet performance I have heard at this University. Either of those performers, if they choose to continue with their art, will become successful chamber musicians. Given their relative youth, there is much more excitement possible from them.
Sprung navigated the clarinet solo with just the right touch. It never felt hurried or slowed. I never felt uncomfortable when I shouldn’t (there are three notes that are particularly chilling where the clarinetist plays from the softest volume to the loudest that, I feel, are meant to be uncomfortable).
The only movement that felt weak to me was the eighth. Even being weak, it still was of a high calibre and did not detract from the performance. I felt that it could have moved a little more slowly and still been effective, and perhaps been more so. I’m not sure the technical faculties of the violinist would have allowed the slower tempo, but musically I feel she could have accomplished it.
Overall, I felt satisfied with this performance. I felt fulfilled and happy to have taken the time in the middle of the day to leave campus and hear it. I hope the performers feel the same and will continue their progress and sharing of their art. Performers and performances like these are what make being a composer such a worthwhile life.
UPDATE: Coincidentally, today happens to be Good People Day, at least as promoted by Gary Vaynerchuk. Check out his video rant about why we need to praise people. What apropos timing!
