QUARTET FOR THE END OF TIME

Believe it or not, this is a note for note transcription of Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Mv.6. In other words, it is a classical piece through and through, spectacularly and very accurately played by the D97 folks. The only non-Messiaen is the hilarious "Fat People's Chorus of Bulgaria" (Messiaen was French, but whatever), and the equally comic interlude for mandolin and accordion towards the end. Even these interpolations, though, use the same music as the rest of the piece .

So why does it sound like prog? That would be drummer Jonathan Shang. There are no drums in the original, just four instruments (violin, cello, clarinet, & piano) in unison throughout. Messiaen writes bar lines, but no time signatures, with every bar a different length. Shang's entirely invented part emphasizes the extreme unpredictability of the rhythm, and the jazzy syncopations. Towards the end, he takes advantage of Messiaen's long notes to create thrilling drum breaks. Shang enhances Messiaen's music without detracting from it, a heck of an achievement. The whole arrangement packs a wallop that the original cannot match.

In fact, it's one of the few arrangements, classical or otherwise, that is better than the original! When I performed the original Messiaen QFTEOT a few years ago, I made all my colleagues listen to D97's version, so we could try to capture the same spirit. I doubt if you can find a physical copy anymore, but it is available on the band's website to listen to for free. Better yet, download it for your collection, and give D97 some money for their efforts. They are certainly worth supporting.