There was a special reason why Messiaen wrote this work for an unusual combination of instruments. In 1940, when World War II was being fought, Germany invaded France. Messiaen was captured by the German army and he was held as a prisoner of war. While being taken to the prisoner of war camp, Messiaen talked to another prisoner, Henri Akoka, who was a clarinettist. Messiaen showed him the sketches for a clarinet piece he was writing called "Abîme des oiseaux". Two other professional musicians were also among the prisoners: Jean le Boulaire, a violinist and Étienne Pasquier, a cellist. Messiaen composed the "Quatuor" for these three musicians with himself at the piano. The combination of these four instruments is unusual, although Paul Hindemith had written a work for the same combination in 1938.