Tavener
John Tavener composed “Song for Athene” in 1993 for the funeral service of a close friend, Athene Hariades. She was a young Greek actress and teacher, known to have perished in a tragic cycling accident. The piece is a sacred minimalist work occasionally referred to as “Alleluia. May Flights of Angels Sing Thee to Thy Rest.”….
Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen composed Quartet for the End of Time in 1941 while imprisoned in a German prisoner-of-war camp during World War II. Written for the only instruments available, violin, cello, clarinet, and piano, the work reflects Messiaen’s Catholic faith. The eighth movement, “Louange à l’Immortalité de Jésus,” scored for violin and piano, serves as the final of the quartet.