Quatuor pour la fin du temps
| Quatuor pour la fin du Temps | |
|---|---|
| Chamber music by Olivier Messiaen | |
Invitation to the premiere | |
| English | Quartet for the End of Time |
| Composed | 1940–1941 |
| Dedication | "To the Angel who announces the End of Time" |
| Performed | 15 January 1941: Görlitz |
| Published | 1942 |
| Publisher | Éditions Durand |
| Duration | 50 minutes |
| Movements | eight |
| Scoring |
|
| Premiere | |
| Date | 15 January 1941 |
| Location | Stalag VIII-A, Görlitz, Germany |
| Performers | Jean le Boulaire (violin), Henri Akoka (clarinet), Étienne Pasquier (cello), Olivier Messiaen (piano) |
Quatuor pour la fin du Temps (French pronunciation: [kwatɥɔʁ puʁ la fɛ̃ dy tɑ̃]), originally Quatuor de la fin du Temps ("Quartet of the End of Time"), also known by its English title Quartet for the End of Time, is an eight-movement piece of chamber music by the French composer Olivier Messiaen. It was premiered in 1941. The work is scored for clarinet (in B-flat), violin, cello, and piano; a typical performance of the complete work lasts about 50 minutes. Messiaen wrote the piece while a prisoner of war in German captivity and it was first performed by his fellow prisoners. It is generally considered one of his most important works.