Written while a prisoner of the Nazis after the Battle of France, Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time is arguably his most famous work. I've had a somewhat unsettling relationship with the piece. The first time I heard it, I was quite blown away by it. The next time, not so much. Recently I heard some colleagues and acquaintances (including the fabulous Miranda Cuckson) perform the work in an intimate setting, and it simply floored me. I decided to re-visit the piece, and have once again fallen under its spell.

While the recording here, made by the famous group, Tashi—who originally got together for the singular purpose of performing this very work—is not the most moving, it is certainly beautiful in many spots, and displays a consistent vision of how the piece should go. This month's clip is taken from the beginning of Messiaen's beautiful cluster of rainbows (the 7th movement).