Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time has possibly the most intriguing story behind it of any piece composed in the 20th century. Taken to Germany as a prisoner of war in 1940, hunger and intense cold gave the French composer vivid dreams that evoked the Apocalypse.
The experience inspired Messiaen to write the transcendent eight-movement work, which received its premiere in front of fellow prisoners and guards. 'Never before have I been listened to with such attention and understanding,' Messiaen wrote of the performance.
Shostakovich's Second Piano Trio, composed and premiered in 1944, is a haunting lament for the tragic victims of World War II, and the horror of war in general.
Four renowned chamber musicians known for the full-blooded virtuosity of their performances - brothers Renaud and Gautier Capuçon, competition-winning pianist Denis Kozhukhin and clarinettist-composer Jörg Widmann - combine for this concert.
