THE SCHUMANN QUARTET
Erik Schumann (violin): I’ve loved Schubert’s Ninth Symphony since my childhood, but thank to Frans Brüggen’s recording with the Orchestra of the 18th Century, it has become my all-time favourite work.
The performance, the timing, the sound – everything seems to me ideal and as close as one can get to honest, devoted music making. It is like an ode to life, humanity and beauty, and every time I listen to it, I feel free and full of positive energy and inspiration.
Liisa Randalu (viola): the album Morimur, violinist Christoph Poppen and the Hilliard Ensemble’s recording of JS Bach cantatas and Violin Partita No. 2, is exceptional. I am fascinated not just by the concept of this album, but by the purity of the music. For me, the Hilliards and Poppen create a symbiosis that makes me forget what it is to be a ‘musician’ or an ‘artist’ – I hear the music just as it is in the moment. The Chaconne transcription for violin and four voices is very special.
Ken Schumann (violin): Whenever I can, I listen to the music of JS Bach. One of my favourite recordings is a large box set of his orchestral and chamber works by Baroque ensemble Musica Antiqua Köln under Reinhard Goebel. I’ve just had the great opportunity to work on a Bach programme with Goebel who, like us, was born near Cologne. I love how alive, clear and strong and without any kind of artificiality the music of Bach sounds on this recording.
Mark Schumann (cello): I enjoy listening to a cappella groups such as The King’s Singers or The Real Group. The latter is one of a kind – not only do they have some of the best voices in the business along with some of the most fascinating and creative arrangements, but they know how to write a song. I listened to them in Cologne and was amazed by their appearance, perfection in rhythm and intonation. ‘Landscapes’, the Schumann Quartet’s new disc of Haydn, Bartók, Pärt and Takemitsu, will be reviewed in a future issue