Kaija Saariaho: Nocturne for solo violin (1994)
Magnus Lindberg: Steamboat Bill Jr. for clarinet & cello (1990)
Tōru Takemitsu: Between Tides for piano trio (1993)
Olivier Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du Temps (1940-1941)

Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, composed in 1941 while he was a prisoner of war in Stalag VIII-A and first performed in the camp before an audience of prisoners and guards, remains one of the most visionary works of the 20th century. Scored for clarinet, violin, cello and piano, the Quartet transforms limitation into radiance. Birdsong, ecstatic dance, profound stillness and sonorous harmony coexist in music that seeks not merely to measure time but to transcend it.

Together, this programme reveals a lineage of composers for whom colour is structural, expressive and spiritual. Whether shaped in Parisian studios, inspired by French modernism from afar or born in the most extreme of circumstances, this is music that invites us to listen deeply, to hear sound as light, space and revelation.

The Trans-Atlantic Ensemble | Founded by composers Michael Small and Philip Dutton

Eleanor Corr (violin)
Anna Hashimoto (clarinet)
Cecilia Bignall (cello)
Alexander Ullman (piano)

Children under 14 permitted with parent or legal guardian

Wheelchair Spaces

If you require a wheelchair space for this event, please call 01865 305 305 or email boxoffice@oxfordplayhouse.com for further assistance.

*A fee of £1.50 per transaction applies to bookings for this event across all channels - website, phone and in-person bookings at the Box Office. The fee is waived for Oxford Playhouse members.