Olivier Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time; Bartók: Contrasts

Olivier Messiaen (Performer), Bela Bartok (Performer), Ik-Hwan Bae (Performer), Chamber Music Northwest (Performer), William Doppmann (Artist), Warren Lash (Artist), David Shifrin (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Olivier Messiaen, Bela Bartok, Ik-Hwan Bae, Chamber Music Northwest
• Audio CD (December 11, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Delos Records
• ASIN: B0000006W3
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #344,069 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Oliver Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time (1940) and the outbreak of World War II essentially ended the dominance in French music of Les Six and the French Impressionists. Messiaen wrote the Quartet while he was in a German prison camp. He premiered the work in front of 5000 inmates. Bela Bartók, on the other hand, was forced into a heart-breaking exile in America for the war's duration. Bartók's Contrasts (1940) was his last commissioned work before he left Hungary, commissioned for Benny Goodman. It's a brilliant virtuoso role for the clarinetist, who recorded it that year. Both are classics. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Concert Favorites - Favorite Concert!, March 19, 2000

By 

Eric Olson (Detroit, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Olivier Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time; Bartók: Contrasts (Audio CD)

These performances of two favorite concert works, "The Quartet for the End of Time," and "Contrasts," by Oliver Messiaen and Bela Bartok, respectively, are by far the finest on record to date. As they will unlikely ever be surpassed, this is the only recording you will ever desire to hear and the only recording you'll need. As to be expected from clarinetist David Shifrin, his playing rises well above the workmanlike, and is artistic in every way. The colors he acheives does well to show why his instrument is the most important wind instrumet, and he takes advantage of its possibilities. Shifrin's collegues from Chamber Music Northwest also deserve special attention. Ik-hwan Bea's beautiful violin tone balances that of the clarinet. Pianist William Doppmann expertly captures the famous Messiaen chord-colors. Cellist Warren Lash shines in his solo movement in the Quartet. All performances are fresh, with an amazing sense of unity and rhythmic tightness and polish that few ensembles ever achieve.

Highly Recommended

5.0 out of 5 stars Great pieces, great CD, December 8, 2009

By 

A. Burton "music fan" (dc) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Olivier Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time; Bartók: Contrasts (Audio CD)

Two masterpieces of 20th century chamber music on one disc. Good sound quality, solid performance. No complaints here.

4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Way too short, November 16, 2004

By 

Redgecko (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Olivier Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time; Bartók: Contrasts (Audio CD)

Three out of the eight movements feature a soloist. Movement three features the clarinet, movement five features the cello and movement eight is mostly a violin solo. These movements should be played slowly and be as long as possible. On this recording, movement three is great, and at 9 minutes it is about the longest clarinet solo available for this quartet. The other two movements, however, are way too short. Movement five is 4 mintes shorter than the EMI release and movement eight is 3 minutes shorter than the Haitnik rendition. It's not because repeats were not taken, it's because it's played way too fast which ruins the mood of this austere work. Get the RCA Victor recording with Serkin on piano or the Haitnik. Even the Naxos is better than this.