Eternal Resonances

Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) Quatuor pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the End of Time)

James Campbell, clarinet
Gryphon Trio

Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959) Duo No. 2 for Violin and Viola No. 2, H. 331

Jonathan Crow, violin
Juan-Migel Hernandez, viola


Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) String Quartet in G minor, Op. 80

Borealis String Quartet

With eternal and transcendent resonances, our second concert explores music of contrasting spheres from moments of great tragedy to heroic exclamations. Beginning the concert is one of the most important chamber music compositions of the twentieth century, the Quartet for the End of Time by Olivier Messiaen. Conceived in 1940-1941 and written in the course of his captivity in a Nazi prison camp, this powerful work is essentially transcendental and spiritual drawing the listener into a sense of the eternity of space or time. In dynamic contrast, our next music expresses joyful Czech rhythms and resonates with a virtuosic verve. Completed in 1950, only 9 years after the Messiaen, Bohuslav Martinů’s Duo No. 2 for Violin and Viola No. 2, H. 331 is a lesser known work by this prolific composer but exudes an enthusiastic dialogue with a uniquely slavic lyricism. The resonances of the Romantic era round out the program with the String Quartet in G minor, Op. 80 composed by Edvard Grieg. According to the composer, the piece “strives towards breadth, soaring flight and above all resonance for the instruments for which it is written.” Completed in 1878, each movement of this masterwork captures a nordic sentiment and it remains one of the most original and influential string quartets of the late 19th century.

You may also like the following events from Cascade Peaks ChamberFest:

• Next Wednesday, 18th June, 07:30 pm, Van Django at Cascade Peaks in Princeton
• Next Friday, 20th June, 07:30 pm, Rhapsodic Nostalgia in Princeton
• Next Sunday, 22nd June, 03:00 pm, Sorrowful Elation in Princeton

Also check out other Music events in Princeton, Entertainment events in Princeton, Concerts in Princeton.