The Quatuor pour la fin du Temps by Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) is the protagonist of the Concert organised by the Ugo and Olga Levi Foundation. Composed between late 1940 and early 1941 in the Görlitz concentration camp, it is considered one of the highest examples of chamber music of the 20th century. When France entered the war in September 1939, Messiaen was called to arms and a few months later, in May 1940, he was captured by the enemy during a German offensive. Together with other prisoners, he was transferred to the Stalag VIII-A concentration camp in Görlitz (on the south-west border of Poland), where he remained for a year. The officer in charge of the Stalag was a music lover and, learning of Messiaen’s skills (as well as those of three other musician prisoners), let the composer work on a concert at the camp. Messiaen wrote for the musicians he met during his imprisonment (a cellist, a violinist and a clarinettist) first a short trio (later merged into the work as the fourth movement) and then, with the addition of a piano (played by Messiaen himself), he created the Quartet.
The narrative voice of Sandro Cappelletto will be joined by the Ex Novo Ensemble (Davide Teodoro on clarinet, Carlo Lazari on violin, Carlo Teodoro on cello and Aldo Orvieto on piano), in an appointment with free admission subject to availability.
