Little Missenden Festival 2008

A

Event 9 2008

The end of time

Rolf Hind and friends

Friday October 17th, 8.00pm

Little Missenden Church

Tickets £17, £12.50, £8

Rolf Hind piano  David Alberman violin  Stuart King clarinet  Paul Watkins cello

The Quartet for the End of Time is one of Messiaen's most moving and popular works, written and first performed in a Nazi prison camp.  This is quintessential Messiaen – birdsong, bright colours, ethereal textures, a visionary and apocalyptic work inspired by the Revelation of St John. The composer's religious faith burns in every moment of the score, at whose centre is a timeless and heartstopping movement for solo cello that seems to penetrate to the spiritual core of the world.  In Messiaen's words the music “draws the listener closer to eternity in space or in infinity”.

Bartok wrote his trio Contrasts for jazz clarinettist Benny Goodman and violinist Josef Szigeti. It has fascinating flavours – Hungarian roots and jazz idiom, mixed with the biting clarity of Bartok’s own writing. A slow and angular Hungarian dance leads to a dreamy Bartokian summer nocturne, and finally to another dance – this time a contrasting fast caper.

Ravel’s 1922 Duo for violin and cello moved on from the seductive sounds of impressionism towards a leaner and more austere texture.  

George Benjamin studied with Messiaen. His Sortilèges is a beautiful early piano piece. Rolf Hind (now making a name as a composer as well as a brilliant pianist) wrote King David for Stuart King and David Alberman (hence its title). It is a short, rousing and dramatic new piece, partly inspired by hearing David play Kletzmer with two of his children.

Pianist and composer Rolf Hind has assembled a group of cutting-edge musicians for this recital.  Rolf himself is a superb pianist with a special reputation in challenging contemporary repertoire. The Independent called him “the bright young thing of the avant-garde keyboard”.  His 8 CDs include two discs of Messiaen.

“Rolf Hind exceeds the boundaries of what is possible on the piano” (De Standaard, Brussels)

Violinist David Alberman has been at the forefront of the international contemporary music scene for over 20 years. He’s a former violinist with the Arditti Quartet, and since 1995 he has been Rolf’s regular duo partner.

Clarinettist Stuart King’s career embraces performing, teaching, animateurship and directing. He is a founder member and Artistic Director of acclaimed chamber ensemble CHROMA, and teaches clarinet and chamber music at Westminster Cathedral Choir School.

Paul Watkins, one of the finest cellists of his generation, performs as a concert soloist, recitalist and conductor. His six Proms appearances include the First Night of the 2007 season, and his debut Warner Classics CD won a Grammy nomination.

Rolf Hind’s website

Olivier Messiaen website

Paul Watkins Philharmonia page

Stuart King CHROMA page

Little Missenden Festival 2008

Concert sponsored by Salisbury Financial Services Ltd