In this excerpt from Blueprints: How Mathematics Shapes Creativity, Marcus du Sautoy shares his transformative experience with Messiaen's music, particularly highlighting its complexity and emotional depth. The challenge of performing pieces like Turangalîla-Symphony led him to explore other works, including Quartet for the End of Time. Du Sautoy describes how the intricate rhythms and patterns in Messiaen's compositions, particularly his use of prime numbers, create a unique perception of time and repetition, fundamentally reshaping his musical understanding and appreciation.
Messiaen's music, especially in his Quartet for the End of Time, creates an illusion of non-repetition through complex rhythmic structures involving patterns that obscure familiar beats.
The unique interplay of rhythm and harmony in Messiaen's compositions captures an extraordinary sense of time, echoing the thrills and challenges experienced during live performances.
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