These two videos (each illustrating one movement from Olivier Messiaen’s A Quartet for the End of Time) are truly remarkable. They feature artist Zack Smithey, and were produced by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for an upcoming concert.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QrGzES0UNk]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNbjQTSkin0]
Listening to these pieces in the context of the video was interesting for me as it allowed me to see my own musical growth. I remember listening to the Quartet after reading Alex Ross’ The Rest is Noise, and not being able to follow it musically. This time I had no trouble (due in no small part to the fact that I have just finished an intensive music theory unit on Debussy’s harmony).