September 28, 2021
Roving with the Arts: “Hope not Hate” #13 dedicated to Olivier Messiaen
After the fall of France in 1940, Messiaen was interned for nine months in the German prisoner of war camp Stalag Vll-A,
where he composed his "Quatuor pour la fin du temps" ("Quartet for the end of time") for the four instruments available in the prison—piano, violin, cello and clarinet.
The piece was first performed by Messiaen and fellow prisoners for an audience of inmates and prison guards. He was appointed professor of harmony soon after his release in 1941 and professor of composition in 1966 at the Paris Conservatoire, positions that he held until his retirement in 1978.
