Ahead of their performance at LSO St Luke’s this week, the Notos Quartett answer some questions on Richard Strauss.
When did you first start playing as a group, and what brought you together?
In 2007, the original three string players of the Notos Quartett met Antonia at a chamber music course led by the Mandelring Quartet. In this formation, they worked on the Schumann Piano Quartet, which is one of the most iconic works of the piano quartet repertoire. This musical experience inspired everyone to delve into all of the other great pieces for this formation, so we stayed together as a fixed piano quartet. When you come together as a group at such an early age, it’s not surprising that two of the quartet members eventually decided to pursue different paths. This led to Andrea and Philip joining the group in 2015, which turned out to be a perfect match!
What do you love most about the ensemble of a piano quartet?
We are most fascinated by the sheer range of colours and versatility that each instrumental voice brings to the group. We love that once you’ve found the right balance between the string trio and the piano to create a unique quartet sound, the range spans everything from intimate moments to symphonic grandeur. You can even perform whole symphonies with a piano quartet and never lose the intimacy of a chamber music formation.
Are there any chamber music icons of the past or present that you particularly admire?
There are so many incredible chamber music ensembles around the world, both past and present. But if we were to name just one, it would have to be the Alban Berg Quartet. Their dedication to the craft, sound and interpretation is, to us, unparalleled. We were extremely lucky to study with the Alban Berg Quartet’s first violinist, Günter Pichler, for many years. His guidance and insights really pushed us to the next level as a group.
What does Richard Strauss and his music mean to your group?
Richard Strauss’ piano quartet is one of our repertoire’s central pieces, a work we have been performing for more than 10 years. So, in short, it means a lot to us! Like many composers who composed for our formation, Strauss wrote his piano quartet before the age of 20. Yet you won’t find the unfinished ideas of an inexperienced composer, rather an incredibly thoughtful quartet with a very distinct voice, which makes rehearsing and performing this piece a humbling experience.
And finally, what three Strauss pieces would you recommend to those reading?
Besides the Piano Quartet, we recommend listening to two further chamber works: the Violin Sonata and the Metamorphosen for 23 strings. In terms of Strauss’ symphonic works, we’d recommend listening to Also sprach Zarathustra, which is just incredible.
Hear Also sprach Zarathustra in concert with the LSO this October
The Concert
If you can’t make it on the day, the concerts are recorded for future broadcast, and you can listen on BBC Radio 3 at a later date.
For scheduling information, visit bbc.co.uk/radio3
