Het Collectief: 'Concertino'

UNITED IN THE STRUGGLE

In the biting winter cold of 1941 an unreal concert took place. Four prisoners of war in Stalag VIII-A near Görlitz, including Messiaen, created a milestone in music history on ramshackle instruments.

“There’ll be no more time”, a sentence from the Apocalypse, was Messiaen’s inspiration for Quatuor pour la fin du temps.

Het Collectief’s interpretation of this masterpiece is perfect for an exciting sparring match like Contrasts. The breath-taking closeness with which the movements are linked demands the utmost of the musicians. Suddenly the violinist grasps a second instrument to achieve the exotic tones of Balkan music. On top of that Het Collectief adds the fresh, playful sounds of Janáček’s Concertino