Retrospective: CLoSer and the Quartet for the End of Time
We don’t know about you but we’re still buzzing from last week’s CLoSer at Village Underground. Featuring one of the most profound and important works of the 20th century, Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, the concert showcased not only the poignancy of its original composition (the work was composed during Messiaen’s imprisonment in Stalag VIII Prisoner-of-War camp in Gorlitz) but also Michael Collins and our Principal Players’ extraordinary playing. With birdsong on entry, atmospheric lighting inspired by Messiaen’s synaesthesia and fascinating “talking programme notes” to begin, this was truly a night to remember!
“I could think of nowhere I’d rather have been… and with no better company” – David Nice, ArtsDesk
As usual, we got our fantastic photographer James Berry to take a few snaps of the concert which we thought we’d share in this post, along with some of our favourite comments from our Twitter page.
@SpitsMusic @villunderlondon @CityLdnSinfonia my first live streamed concert! #CLoSer
— iyatraQuartet (@iyatraQuartet) April 23, 2014
https://twitter.com/chichiparish/status/459109459235995649
https://twitter.com/DanielleSG98/status/459047644896448512
Breathtaking #Messiaen at #Closer with @CityLdnSinfonia #MusicForTheEndOfTheWorld
— Hazel Mulhare (@hazelmulhare) April 23, 2014
Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time is defs one of my fave – awesome performance tonight @SpitsMusic @CityLdnSinfonia @villunderlondon
— Héloïse Werner (@Heloise_Werner) April 23, 2014
Mesmerising Messiaen 4tet from @CityLdnSinfonia soloists – Ecstatic & profoundly moving; sublime music in a great Shoreditch setting #CLoSer
— Joseph Atkins (@Joseph_Atkins) April 23, 2014
https://twitter.com/doctorsteve82/status/459081862611476481
Couldn't get to #CLoSer but hugely enjoying @CityLdnSinfonia's intense Quartet for End of Time online:http://t.co/MI4k3dVhFz @SpitsMusic
— Lindsey Glen (@LindseyGlen) April 23, 2014
https://twitter.com/jessicapigg/status/459070506185265154
Our next CLoSer event will be The Entertainments in October with a programme featuring two re-imaginings of Shakespeare’s plays: Korngold’s incidental music for Much Ado About Nothing and Shostakovich’s outrageous re-working of Hamlet. Tickets, including £1 early bird tickets for a limited period only, are on sale now!