Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time

When

  • February 1, 2026 - Showtime: 3:00pm

2026 represents a significant milestone in the life of this monumental work. First performed on January 15, 1941, at the Stalag VIIIA prisoner-of-war camp in Görlitz, Germany, the performers were inmates, including Messiaen himself, and the audience fellow prisoners and German officers. CrossRoute marks this 85th anniversary of the première.

Having successfully begged for a piece of paper and a small pencil, Messiaen, inspired by the apocalyptic Book of Revelation from the New Testament, adopted radical language for the work that synthesised old and new Western musical techniques. On this foundation he incorporated Eastern meters, birdsong, and his own synaesthesia, all steeped in his profound Catholic faith.

Back to Events