Nocturnal Metamorphoses   LIGETI, RAVEL

An evening dedicated to two iconic turn-of-the-centuries composers: Ravel and Ligeti. Quartissimo rises to the challenge. This young Tyrolean string quartet, which was founded in 2016 by two pairs of brothers and sisters, is one of the most exciting young ensembles in the Austrian chamber music scene.

With works by Ravel and Ligeti, their focus is on the more modern repertoire. Ravel composed his String Quartet in F major, Op. 35 – his only string quartet – while still a student of Gabriel Fauré at the Conservatoire in Paris. It received a highly controversial reception. Fauré, to whom the work is dedicated, was somewhat disapproving, whereas Debussy was totally enthusiastic and urged Ravel not to change a single note. Ligeti’s String Quartet No. 1 (Métamorphoses nocturnes) was written for the drawer, since life in the Hungary of those days was strictly regulated by the Communist dictatorship. Many Hungarians resorted to a culture of the closed room, and the majority of artists opted for inner emigration. Ligeti was inspired by Bartók’s quartets, which he knew only from their scores, as performances were banned by the regime. Although Ligeti himself describes the quartet as prehistoric, in fact it is utterly original and overwhelming.

Quartissimo
Clara Spieler – Violin
Hannah Alber – Violin
Jonas Alber – Viola
Emil Spieler – Cello