Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time

Hear OSL members play one of the most extraordinary works of the 20th century. Composed in a German prisoner-of-war camp during the brutal winter of 1940-41, Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time was written for the instruments available—clarinet, violin, cello, and piano—and first performed by fellow prisoners before an audience of 400 inmates and guards.

Messiaen drew inspiration from the Book of Revelation, where an angel proclaims, “There shall be time no longer.” This concept—eternity transcending human perception—shaped Messiaen’s approach to rhythm, rejecting conventional pulse in favor of fluid, suspended time. The music unfolds in eight movements, each depicting a vision of the divine: birdsong as a symbol of freedom, the terrifying force of the Apocalypse, and two radiant Louanges (praises), slow-moving meditations on the eternity and immortality of Jesus.

A devout Catholic and synesthete, Messiaen experienced music as color, imagining shimmering blue-orange chords and otherworldly hues within his soundscapes. He also believed birds carried divine messages, integrating their songs throughout the quartet. From its fragile opening to its transcendent final ascent, Quartet for the End of Time remains a testament to the endurance of faith, art, and the human spirit in the face of devastation.