For the End of Time: The Story of the Messiaen Quartet

The clarinetist Rebecca Rischin has written a captivating book....Her research dispels several long-cherished myths about the 1941 premiere....Rischin lovingly brings to life the other musicians-Étienne Pasquier, cellist; Henri Akoka, clarinetist; and Jean Le Boulaire, violinist-who played with Messiaen, the pianist at the premiere."-Alex Ross, The New Yorker "This book offers a wealth of new information about the circumstances under which the Quartet was created.Based on original interviews with the performers, witnesses to the premiere, and documents from the prison camp, this first comprehensive history of the Quartet's composition and premiere held my interest from beginning to end....For the End of Time touches on many things: faith, friendship, creativity, grace in a time of despair, and the uncommon human alliances that wartime engenders."-Arnold Steinhardt, Chamber Music"The clarification of the order of composition of the movements is just one of the minor but cumulatively sig