Leonkoro Quartet

‘This quartet is already one of the finest: perfectly unanimous, colourful and original.’ 

– Alfred Brendel

In their second offering for UKARIA, the Leonkoro Quartet presents a unique selection of Austro-German voices old and new. The  lavish late-Romantic vocabulary of Anton Webern’s 1905 single-movement Langsamer Satz is testament to the influence of his teacher Arnold Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht. From late-Romanticism, the Leonkoro Quartet shifts towards a far more modern  language that yet grapples with a nineteenth-century musical legacy. Contemporary German composer Jörg Widmann describes his ninth string quartet Beethoven Study IV as having ‘a particular focus on Beethoven’s still unattainable Quartet in C sharp minor, Op.  131’. As is only fitting after such an overt dedication, the Leonkoro Quartet answers Widmann’s work with its original inspiration:  Beethoven’s groundbreaking, formidable Op. 131.

Leonkoro Quartet are also performing at UKARIA on Saturday 2 May at 5.30pm. Further details can be found here.

Jonathan Schwarz | Violin
Amelie Wallner | Violin
Mayu Konoe | Viola
Lukas Schwarz | Cello

Anton Webern (1883–1945)
Langsamer Satz [10′]

Jörg Widmann (b. 1973)
String Quartet No. 9 Beethoven Study IV [35′]

I. Introduzione. Allegro vivace
II. Lento. Presto
III. Recitativo
IV. Allegro alla marcia

INTERVAL

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131 [40′]

I. Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo
II. Allegro molto vivace
III. Allegro moderato
IV. Andante, ma non troppo e molto cantabile
V. Presto
VI. Adagio quasi un poco andante
VII. Allegro