Richibi’s Weblog

having juxtaposed Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 14 

with Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, in the 

context of my exploring quartets historically, it became

evident to me that Messiaen must’ve been profoundly

influenced by Beethoven’s earlier piece, by over a 

hundred years, 1826, 1941, they are so similar

both have a significantly greater number of movements, 

beyond the traditional three or four, seven for Beethoven, 

Messiaen eight, contrary to the seven I mistakenly 

attributed to him in my last instalment

no matter, the extension in either suggests a 

longer exploration of the subject, the ebb and 

flow of tempo will inadvertently suggest a 

trajectory, an elaboration, wth chapters, 

perspectives, which is to say, movements, 

a journey 

the Beatles did the same thing when they put 

out Sergeant Pepper, you’ll remember, the 

original concept album, to supplant hit singles, 

an entirely other, however pertinent, story

both pieces are mournful, strident, suppliant,

Classical imperatives are being tested, 

tonality, tempo, repetition

Messiaen, you’ll note, has a less conversational 

line, his musical progressions are not linear, but

impressionistic, more textural than Beethoven,

who is more literal, every note is an element, a 

noun, an adjective, a verb, in a rational 

statement, a sentence

both are, however, saying the same thing, with 

equal emotional, and even philosophical, ardour, 

just from different corners of our Western cultural 

universe, transcending time, meanwhile, and 

space, the reach, however nebulous, of our, 

nevertheless ever inspired, ancestry  

listen

R ! chard