BaL 18.03.17 - Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

0930
Building a Library on Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time. Kate Molleson in conversation with Andrew guides us through this unique work of chamber music which deals with different aspects of time.
Messiaen was captured by the German army in 1940. As a prisoner of war he managed to obtain some paper and a small pencil from a sympathetic guard. The quartet was premiered at the camp, outdoors and in the rain in 1941. The musicians had beaten-up old instruments and an audience of fellow prisoners and guards. Messiaen said: "Never was I listened to with such rapt attention and comprehension." Messiaen was inspired by a text from the Book of Revelation: "And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire."

Available versions (not in any particular order):-

Jonathan Cohler (clarinet), Ilya Kaler (violin), Andrew Mark (cello) & Janice Weber (piano)

Amici Ensemble

John Kruse (clarinet), Bjarne Hansen (violin), Svend Winslov (cello) Rosalind Bevan (piano) (download)

Viktor Wennesz (clarinet) & Øystein Sonstad (cello), Christine Pryn (violin) & Kristoffer Hyldig (piano)

Vera Beths (violin), George Pieterson (clarinet), Reinbert de Leeuw (piano), Anner Bijlsma (cello)

Ensemble Walter Boeykens

Leila Josefowicz (violin) John Novacek (piano)

James Campbell (clarinet), Gryphon Trio

Tashi Quartet

Holy Cross Chamber Players

Philippe Graffin (violin), Charles Neidich (clarinet), Pascal Devoyon (piano), Colin Carr (cello)

Alexander Janiczek (violin), Philip Moore (piano), Rosemary Elliot (flute), Hebrides Ensemble

Het Collectief

Chamber Music Northwest

Pascal Moraguès (clarinet), Trio Wanderer

Eduard Brunner, Trio Fontenay

Robert Plane (clarinet), Gould Piano Trio (download)

The Fibonacci Sequence

Carl-Axel Dominique (piano), John Ehde (cello) (download)

Etienne Pasquier (Cello) André Vacellier (Clarinet) Jean Pasquier (Violin) Olivier Messiaen (Piano) (download)

Zurich Ensemble

Houston Symphony Chamber Players

Pierre Strauch (Cello), Alain Damiens (Clarinet), Pierre-Laurent Aimard (Piano), Maryvonne le Dizès (Violin) (download)

Luben Yordanoff (violin), Albert Tétard (cello), Claude Desurmont (clarinet), Daniel Barenboim (piano) (download))

Gil Shaham (violin), Paul Meyer (clarinet), Jian Wang (cello), Myung-Whun Chung (piano)

Carolin Widmann (violin), Jörg Widmann (clarinet), Nicolas Altstaedt (cello), Alexander Lonquich (piano)

Vera Beths (Violin), Anner Bijlsma (Cello), George Pieterson (Clarinet), Reinbert de Leeuw (Piano) (download)

Eduard Bruner (clarinet) & Vassily Lobanov (piano), Natalia Gutman (cello) & Oleg Kagan (violin)

Joshua Bell (violin), Steven Isserlis (cello), Olli Mustonen (piano), Michael Collins (clarinet) (download)

Håkan Rosengren (clarinet), Mats Rondin (cello), Per Enoksson (violin), Stefan Bojsten (piano)

James Clark (violin), David Cohen (cello), Barnaby Robson (clarinet)

Erich Gruenberg (violin), Gervase de Payer (clarinet), William Pleeth (cello), Michel Béroff (piano)

François Benda (clarinet), Nurit Stark (violin), Ivan Monighetti (cello), Cedric Pescia (piano)

David Griffiths (clarinet), Wilma Smith (violin), Svetlana Bogosavljevic (cello) & Timothy Young (piano)

Osiris Trio: Ellen Corver (piano), Peter Brunt (violin), Larissa Groeneveld (cello)

Huguette Fernandez (violin), Guy Deplus (clarinet), Jacques Nielz (cello), Marie-Madeleine Petit (piano)

Yvonne Loriod (piano), Christoph Poppen (violin), Manuel Fischer-Dieskau (cello) & Wolfgang Meyer (clarinet)

David Krakauer (clarinet), Matt Haimovitz (cello), Jonathan Crow (violin), Geoffrey Burleson (piano) & Socalled (electronics)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It's a Twofer.

[pastoralguy]

Wasn't it the Tashi Group on RCA that 'won' it last time around? I remember since I was playing it whilst at music college and I wanted a cd and that was recommended.

[Beef Oven!]

Very much looking forward to this BaL (we’ve had some great BaLs in the last few months).

I have the Erich Gruenberg, Gervase de Payer, William Pleeth, Michel Béroff, recording on Warner Classics and the Amici Ensemble on Naxos.

[Richard Barrett]

Wasn't it the Tashi Group on RCA that 'won' it last time around? I remember since I was playing it whilst at music college and I wanted a cd and that was recommended.

Still the top recommendation IMO.

[BBMmk2]

They must know I am not well at the moment. There has been some really good Bal's recently! Very much looking forward to this one.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

They must know I am not well at the moment. There has been some really good Bal's recently! Very much looking forward to this one.

[Pulcinella]

Alpie

The Bell/Isserlis/Mustonen/Collins download has been listed twice.
Is this because it's a twofer BaL?

[Parry1912]

It's a Twofer.

I don't even like Messiaen and this just makes it worse! Why do they keep doing this? Does anybody like it?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Alpie

The Bell/Isserlis/Mustonen/Collins download has been listed twice.
Is this because it's a twofer BaL?

No, it's because I didn't do the list alphabetically, which helps me to avoid such gaffs.

I shall edit.

[Pulcinella]

Amici (Naxos) and Yordanoff et al (DG) here, but tempted to get the Tashi, which I once had on LP.
Any comments on either of its incarnations?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Messiaen-Quartet-End-Tashi/dp/B00SRVBROM/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1489315826&sr=1-1&keywords=Tashi+messiaen

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Messiaen-Quatuor-Pour-Temps-Quartet/dp/B000003ERU/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1489315826&sr=1-2&keywords=Tashi+messiaen

Decent new price for either, 2015 or 1988.
Likely to have been remastered?

[pastoralguy]

Amici (Naxos) and Yordanoff et al (DG) here, but tempted to get the Tashi, which I once had on LP.
Any comments on either of its incarnations?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Messiaen-Quartet-End-Tashi/dp/B00SRVBROM/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1489315826&sr=1-1&keywords=Tashi+messiaen

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Messiaen-Quatuor-Pour-Temps-Quartet/dp/B000003ERU/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1489315826&sr=1-2&keywords=Tashi+messiaen

Decent new price for either, 2015 or 1988.
Likely to have been remastered?

I have the second version, Pulcinella, which I see from the very faded HMV receipt, I bought at 11.59 on 12/5/89 for £7.99!

It still sounds pretty good to me although, to be honest, it's not a work I listen to that often.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Amici (Naxos) and Yordanoff et al (DG) here, but tempted to get the Tashi, which I once had on LP.
Any comments on either of its incarnations?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Messiaen-Quartet-End-Tashi/dp/B00SRVBROM/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1489315826&sr=1-1&keywords=Tashi+messiaen

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Messiaen-Quatuor-Pour-Temps-Quartet/dp/B000003ERU/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1489315826&sr=1-2&keywords=Tashi+messiaen

Decent new price for either, 2015 or 1988.
Likely to have been remastered?

The 1988 version is the one I've had since it first appeared - the only recording I have of the work*. Dunno about any remasterings, but I remember the sound on this first CD incarnation as being very good - liturgie de cristal clear, quite "close", but also "warm". I haven't played it in years - time to make amends!

[* - I lie! I also have the Trio Fonteney & chums in the Warner APEX box (which is also very good).]

[pastoralguy]

The 1988 version is the one I've had since it first appeared - the only recording I have of the work. Dunno about any remasterings, but I remember the sound on this first CD incarnation as being very good - liturgie de cristal clear, quite "close", but also "warm". I haven't played it in years - time to make amends!

SNAP!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

SNAP!