The masterpiece "beyond time", the Quatuor pour la fin du Temps, first saw the light of day in Barrack 27 of the Stalag VIII-A prisoner of war camp in Görlitz, Silesia, during the Second World War, performed by its composer Olivier Messiaen on the piano together with fellow prisoners Jean Le Boulaire on the violin, Henri Akoka on the clarinet and Étienne Pasquier on the cello. The unusual instrumentation of the ensemble was determined by which musicians were available in this deprived environment, and the prisoners' coping mechanisms also played a role: Akoka's clarinet and the singing of the birds during the morning awakenings with Pasquier inspired the 3rd movement, Abîme des oiseaux for solo clarinet.

As Messiaen himself explained before the concert, it is the first six verses from the 10th chapter of the Book of Revelation that characterize the piece as a whole. Hunger in the camp had evoked in him vivid, colorful dreams of the rainbow of angels, and the end of time represented eternity in the face of the mortality the internees faced. The sensory deprivation he experienced during his imprisonment caused (or exacerbated) his synesthesia, so that his hearing of harmonies and his seeing of colors merged in his mind.

The difficulty of the work is well known; in Görlitz, the composer demanded extreme and unusual instrumental effects from musicians already thrown off balance by Messiaen's unconventional rhythms: dynamic extremes, unheard-of power and maximum precision. The clarinettist Akoka complained about notes that were too high and long phrases; the violinist Le Boulaire about wide, inhumanly slow string melodies. But Messiaen's composure at the piano instilled confidence in him, made the impossible possible and raised everything to a higher level.

On a formal level, the eight movements of the Quatuor, which are linked by symbolic correspondences, reflect the biblical perfection of the number seven: the six days of creation, followed by the day of rest, which stretches into eternity and becomes an eighth of unfailing light and unchanging peace.

"I composed this quartet to escape the snow, war, imprisonment and myself," said Messiaen. Yet the religious silence that surrounded the premiere demonstrated the quatuor's ability to lift everyone in the first audience with it above the barbarism, hunger and cold. When we listen to this music today, which is "alien to earthly beauty and imbued with the idea of God", we perceive its essence "beyond time", imbued with faith and religiosity.

Further information:
- Recorded in February 2018, February 2019 and December 2023 in Perugia
- The booklet in English contains liner notes by Donatella Meneghini and biographical information on the artists

- Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) composed his "Quatuor pour le fin du temps" (Quartet for the End of Time) in 1940-41. The work was composed during Messiaen's internment in Stalag VIII-A, a German prisoner of war camp where he was held during the Second World War. Despite the harsh conditions, Messiaen composed this eight-movement piece for a unique ensemble: clarinet, violin, cello and piano, the instruments available in the camp.

- Inspired by the biblical revelation of John, in particular the angel's announcement of the end of time, the Quatuor explores themes of eternity, divine grace and apocalyptic visions. Messiaen, a devout Catholic, saw time as transcended by divine love, and the piece reflects his fascination with spiritual and mystical concepts.

- The music is known for its otherworldly beauty, complex rhythms and innovative use of limited transpositional modes that create a timeless, suspended feeling. The movements range from intense, fiery expressions of divine power to serene, meditative reflections on eternity. The Quatuor pour le fin du temps was premiered in the camp before an audience of prisoners and guards and remains one of the most important and profound chamber works of the 20th century.

- Performed by Davide Bandieri (clarinet), Lisa Schatzman (violin), Joël Marosi (cello) and Maria-Liisa Marosi (piano).
- Davide Bandieri has already successfully released numerous recordings for Brilliant Classics, including the complete chamber music works for clarinet by Von Weber and, together with Joël Marosi and Maria-Liisa Marosi, clarinet trios by Frühling and Zemlinsky.