What was Messiaen’s inspiration? How does his composition relate to the “end of time”? How does this masterpiece fit in its cultural and historical context?
Composed in 1940 while Messiaen was held captive at Stalag VIIIA, a prisoner-of-war camp in Görlitz, Germany, Quartet for the End of Time is scored for clarinet (in B-flat), violin, cello, and piano. The piece was first performed in 1941, by Messiaen's fellow inmates at the camp. The musicians played on broken-down instruments outdoors in the pouring rain, to an audience of around 400 prisoners and guards. Inspired by the Book of Revelation (Rev 10:1–2, 5–7, King James Version), Messiaen dedicated the piece to "the Angel of the Apocalypse, who raises his hand towards Heaven saying ‘There shall be no more time.'".
Friday night discussion panelists include:
• Dr. Scott Macdougall (Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Graduate Theological Union), a theologian specializing in eschatology and ecclesiology
• Dr. Jonathan Sheehan (University of California, Berkeley), an historian of early modern Europe with a focus on the history religion
• Anna Presler (Left Coast Chamber Ensemble), violinist and artistic director
Attendees will receive a 20% discount on tickets to the Left Coast’s French Sublime concert, performed on February 2 and 3 in Berkeley and San Francisco.
The Doug Adams Gallery is the primary exhibition space for the Center for the Arts & Religion at the Graduate Theological Union.