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Quartet for the end of time. The anniversary of pre-performance
Exactly 80 years ago, on 15 January, 1941, took place the premier performance of the piece Quartet for the end of time, in Stalag VIII E Görlitz (Zgorzelec) composed by Olivier Meassiaen (1908–1992) during his time in captivity.
On this occasion, the European Educational and Cultural Centre Zgorzelec/Görlitz Meetingpoint Music Messiaen, established on the site of the former Stalag VIII A Görlitz, with which our Museum has been cooperating for years, symbolically (due to the pandemic) commemorates this event. Today, services and musical meditation in the memory of the artist will be held in the Heilig Kreuz church in Görlitz. In addition, a festival magazine has been published (also in digital version at www.messiaen-tage.eu), which recalls Olivier Messiaen's stay in Görlitz. The festival itself, under the name "5. International Messiaen Days Görlitz-Zgorzelec", has been postponed until this spring (29 April-2 May).
In the Central Museum of Prisoners-of-War, we have remained time and again about this event from many years ago. We have recalled the figure of Olivier Messiaen, among others, by publishing an article by the musicologist and vice-president of the Board of the Polish Composers' Union, Jerzy Stankiewicz ("Łambinowice Museum Yearbook" 2010, vol. 33), and also by hosting him with lectures, two of which preceded performances of his Quartet for the End of Time in the concert halls of the State Music School and the Opole Philharmonic in Opole