One of the most historically important and spiritually introspective works of chamber music,
Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time is an incredibly demanding work for performers. It requires an incredible amount of endurance and control of each individual instrument and a finely tuned ear with regards to intonation, rhythm, and ensemble articulation. In most respects, this Centaur recording by the
Holy Cross Chamber Players is completely lacking in these qualities. Intonation between the various combinations of instruments is at times extremely poor and instantly robs the performance of its musical impact. The piano itself appears to considerably out of tune and produces an unappealing sound quality. Articulation, particularly in the rhythmically complex sixth movement, is sloppy at best. Tempo choice is often uncharacteristic of
Messiaen's score markings, especially the cello's introduction in the fifth movement, which should be much, much slower and more controlled than heard here. Overall recorded sound quality is also poor, yielding unacceptable balance problems between the instruments. The one shining star on the album is clarinetist Bruce Creditor, whose Abyss of the Birds is stunningly controlled, producing an abundance of dynamic diversity. This, sadly, is certainly not enough to warrant the purchase of this album over one of the many higher quality performances of this great work.