Composed in 1991, Piece for piano and string quartet is one of the last works Olivier Messiaen wrote before his death on 27 April 1992. In this brief and dynamic composition, commemorating the ninetieth anniversary of Alfred Schlee and Universal Edition, one finds a pared-down version of Messiaen's musical style that is effective and enchanting. The aptly chosen title, Piece, has relevance not only to the length and nature of the composition but also to its content, which largely comprises a string of short musical ideas, separated by moments of notated silence. Within this almost fragmentary realm, Messiaen exposes different timbres in each musical section by swiftly changing the instrumentation, thematic material, and articulation. The brevity of the musical ideas and the sparse textures are more reminiscent of passages found in Messiaen's orchestral pieces Couleurs de la cite celeste (1963) and Des canyons aux etoiles (1974) than those in his celebrated chamber work Quatuor pour la fin du temps (1941). While short thematic ideas are indeed characteristic of Messiaen's music, they are customarily incorporated into longer musical passages and formal structures, as is evident in Quatuor and Messiaen's colossal orchestral pieces Chronochromie (1960), Turangalila-Symphonie (1948), and the recent Eclairs sur l'au-dela (1991). Piece contains eleven musical units divided into an archlike structure of 5 + 1 + 5. Like so many of Messiaen's works, the form is seemingly simple, yet, at the same time complex and unique owing to its subtle modifications and variants. As each of the five units returns to create the arch, Messiaen continues to alter the music. The method of development varies with the reprise of each musical unit, and only in the first of the five sections (which is heard last when the arch descends) does he retain the original material untouched. Except in units five and nine, the piano and strings do not play simultaneously; instead, they are fashioned in the form of a dialogue. Their interchange is free flowing and energetic owing to uneven phrase lengths and dynamic levels, which rarely dip below a mezzo forte. A climax is reached in the middle section, the main body of the work, and bears the label Fauvette des jardins after a bird whose song appears in numerous Messiaen pieces and whose name is the title of his substantial 1970 piano composition. As the dialogue between the piano and strings builds in this section, the absence of breath becomes apparent and the music conveys an exited state. The harmonies within Piece are typical of Messiaen, and the rhythms, while less complex than many in his previous works, are at times asymmetric owing to the occasionally added eighth note (a trademark of Messiaen's style). Numerous passages of running thirty-second notes at quick tempos and rapid alternations between players could prove challenging for the performers. Clearly laid out, the performance score makes for easy reading. While meter changes are not marked in the score, the musical phrasings are precise and sufficient. Performance time is under five minutes. Piece is a spirited work that encapsulates Messiaen's musical voice. The composition begins and ends with the same four-note figure in the strings; however, the music in between transforms their second realization into a fresh experience, a symbolic gesture perhaps for Messiaen, who enabled us through his music to appreciate a new world of sound. …