Sounds from Eternity – With a Touch of Swing and Salon: The Olivier Messiaens Endzeit-Quartet in the Oetker Hall

“…accomplished coordination and differentiation were the main qualities in “Kristallene Listurgie” and “Regenbogen”, in which the pianist Gurdal glided through different chords with exemplarily well-balanced touch and use of the pedal. The extremely intricate quartet unison showed the right precision and toughness by playing “Tanz der Raserei für die sieben Posaunen”. The clarinet player Ubbelohde performed the solo “Abgrund der Vögel” with a wonderfully nuanced expressive pathos. To much of the listener’s surprise, the fourth movement, which is the core and interlude of the piece, was played with a touch of swing and salon, which was never heard before in the music of Messiaen. Particularly challenging are the two canticles in praise of Jesus’s eternity: the cellist Vera Milicevic performed its own piece with elegant, vibrating beauty. In the execution by the violinist Anna Heygster were sound and composure of a deep quality and they invited the listener to get lost in heavenly reverie. This was a much acclaimed encounter.”

Neu Westphälische, Michael Beugold