Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time

Part of the Roman River Festival 2025 - See all concerts here.

Olivier Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the End of Time) is one of the most extraordinary works of the 20th century, a revolutionary piece that helped redefine chamber music and which was composed under remarkable and harrowing circumstances. Written in 1940–41, while Messiaen was a prisoner of war in the German Stalag VIII-A camp during World War II, the piece was composed for the only instruments available in the camp: violin, clarinet, cello, and piano. Messiaen himself played piano at the premiere, which took place on January 15, 1941, before an audience of fellow prisoners and guards, reportedly in freezing conditions. We hope that you will be somewhat warmer as you are uplifted by this profound statement of faith and artistic resilience. 

The quartet is inspired by the Book of Revelation, specifically the angel’s declaration that “there shall be time no longer.” This apocalyptic vision is reflected in both the spiritual intensity of the music and its radical treatment of rhythm and harmony. Messiaen, a devout Catholic and synesthete, sought to transcend traditional musical time through breaking traditional musical rules. He created complex rhythmic cycles, using 'non-retrogradable' rhythms or rhythms that are the same forward and backward like a musical palindrome, which he favoured because they feel balanced and unchanging, symbolizing eternity or timelessness. The harmonic structures are based on scales, invented by Messiaen himself, which sound strange and otherworldly, neither happy like a major scale nor sad like a minor one, giving his music an overwhelming feeling of mystery and timelessness. 

Divided into eight movements, the work blends extreme contrasts—moments of ferocious energy with passages of meditative stillness. Particularly notable are the fifth and eighth movements, which feature long, soaring melodies for cello and violin respectively, floating over slow piano chords in what Messiaen described as expressions of divine eternity. Birdsong, a signature element in Messiaen’s music, is used vividly in the clarinet solo of the third movement, symbolizing freedom and spiritual elevation. 

Quatuor pour la fin du temps endures as a powerful testament to the human spirit, composed amidst suffering, yet filled with hope, transcendence, and a vision of timeless beauty. Fitting, then, that this concert takes place in a spot where clergy has served in an almost unbroken line stretching back to 1322.

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Please note that the musicians are all in agreement that the piece should be played from start to finish with no interval to offer you the most immersive experience of the music. We will therefore allow a little extra time for everyone to get settled before the performance begins.

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Violinist Sijie Chen is a key member of the Wild Arts family, performing regularly with The Bloomsbury Players, which she founded, during our Spring Concerts, as well as with the Wild Arts Ensemble. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Vermeer Chamber Concerts, and her chamber music collaborations have included performances with Nicola Benedetti, Roderick Williams and Tom Poster in the Edinburgh International Festival and IMS Prussia Cove. She is the co-leader of the London Mozart Players and performs regularly with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and the Academy of Ancient Music.

Since his acclaimed 2009 debut at Berlin’s Philharmonie, Sacha Rattle has performed across Europe and Asia, including appearances at prestigious venues like Cadogan Hall and Palau de la Música. A dedicated chamber musician renowned for his expressive performances and distinctive sound, Rattle collaborates regularly with pianist Zeynep Özsuca and is a founding member of the award-winning ensemble Berlin Counterpoint. His diverse repertoire spans classical masterpieces to contemporary works, reflecting his versatility and commitment to expanding the clarinet's expressive range.

​Sam Haywood is acclaimed for his expressive performances and versatility across solo, chamber, and Lieder repertoires. He has performed in major concert halls worldwide, and has collaborated with renowned artists such as violinist Joshua Bell and cellist Steven Isserlis. Haywood's discography includes recordings for Hyperion, featuring works by composers like Julius Isserlis and Charles Villiers Stanford. He is also the co-founder and Artistic Director of the Solent Music Festival in Hampshire.

​A dedicated educator, Bartholomew LaFollette served as Principal Cello Teacher at the Yehudi Menuhin School and is the Artistic Director of the Marryat Players Chamber Music Festival. He has performed as a soloist with prestigious ensembles such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the City of London Sinfonia and collaborated with esteemed artists such as Christian Tetzlaff, Alina Ibragimova, and András Keller. His debut album, Brahms: Works for Cello and Piano, received critical acclaim for its technical finesse and interpretative insight. 

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This concert will also feature a Young Artist Spotlight. Originally from Moldova, 15-year-old violinist Sabrina Petrica started playing when she was 6. Currently studying under Glynn Freeman at the Allegro Music Academy in Colchester, she won two prizes at the Suffolk Festival of Performing Arts 2025. Her passion is for baroque music, in particular Vivaldi.

Sabrina will be playing the theme from Schindler's List composed by John Williams for the original score for Schindler’s List (1993) and originally performed by Itzhak Perlman. John Williams is a legendary American composer, known for iconic film scores, whose music, rich in emotion and grandeur, has defined modern cinema. Williams has won multiple Oscars and inspired generations of composers worldwide. When the renowned composer first watched a rough cut of Schindler’s List at director Steven Spielberg’s home in Los Angeles, he got so choked up he couldn’t speak. “I had to walk around the room for four or five minutes to catch my breath,” Williams recalled. “I said to Steven, ‘I really think you need a better composer than I am for this film.' To which the director replied, ‘I know, but they’re all dead.’”

PROGRAMME

John Williams Theme from Schindler's List  | Sabrina Petrica

Oliver Messiaen The Quartet for the End of Time

Duration: approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

Planning: Doors open from 7.30 for an 8pm start. Please allow ample time for parking. The artist-in-residence's pictures will be available to view during this half hour window, the interval, and after the concert when we hope you will stay to enjoy a glass of wine, and meet the performers and the artist.

Sijie Chen | violin
Sacha Rattle | clarinet
Sam Haywood | piano
Bartholomew LaFollette | cello

Tickets £20 – £40 (£15 for under 30s)

Reduced visibility seats available.

Church & Tower Tour

You may have read here that we had arranged for a special pre-concert church and tower combined tour to help raise money for the church. Since there have been no bookings, this has now been cancelled.

If you are still interested in going on a tour at another time, please call the Parish Office on 01206 322136 or click on the link below and fill in the form, adding Roman River Concert in the comments so they know you found out about these tours from us. 

Dedham and Ardleigh Parishes : Contact Dedham Church Tower Tours.

Please note that visitors should be able bodied as there are 132 steep steps to the top. Under 8s are not allowed, and children under 16 should be accompanied by an adult.

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Celebrating 25 Years of Artists-in-Residence
Over the past quarter century Roman River Music has invited many highly recognised local artists to be part of the festival. Their work has been both incorporated into the stage sets for concerts and on the cover of our programmes. This year, rather than invite a new one to join this illustrious roster, we are looking back to fête all of those who have been so wonderfully part of Roman River Festival. At each of the larger concerts this year, the work of a particular artist will be on display and sale, and the artist themself will be there to discuss their work.

Elizabeth Morris, our two-time Artist in Residence in 2000 and 2010, is a printmaker inspired by islands and the sea. Her work reflects her home on Mersea Island where she lives and works, and Heir Island, a small island in West Cork where for years she has spent much of the summer, sailing, walking and drawing. Her prints draw on a variety of natural elements, including the patterns of sand, the texture of stones, and the tracks of birds. More recently, she has been inspired by sea myths.

After training as a painter, Liz discovered her passion for etching. While living in Greenwich, she taught art and ran a printmaking workshop from her studio. A founding member of the Greenwich Printmakers, she belongs to the Gainsborough’s House Print Workshop, and was for ten years a member of the East Anglian based 12PM Twelve Printmakers.

Her work has been exhibited at prestigious venues, including the Royal Academy, the Mall Galleries, and the Barbican. In East Anglia Liz has frequently shown at the Eastern Open at Kings Lynn. In 1999, she was awarded the Coley and Tilley prize by the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, and in 2005, she was featured in the television series Coastal Inspirations.

We are delighted to be once again able to share her wonderful work with you at this concert.

https://www.elizabethmorrisprints.co.uk