Leipzig quartet to make Ariz. debut
Germany’s Leipzig String Quartet, one of the world’s most prolific and best-known string ensembles, has been earning its stellar reputation for a quarter-century.
Over that time, the group has released around 70 recordings, notably the complete works of Brahms, Mozart and Schubert, and its members regularly perform throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and, each spring, the United States.
Yet, Leipzig String Quartet’s upcoming show Wednesday, March 6, at the MIM Music Theater in Phoenix will be their first performance in Arizona. It also will almost certainly be a lush, beautiful and memorable evening, with performances of Mozart’s Quartet in D Major, K. 499 (“Hoffmeister”), Puccini’s “Il Crisantemi,” Wagner’s “Albumblatt for String Quartet” and Schumann’s Quartet in A Major, Op. 41, No. 3.
Leipzig cellist Matthias Moosdorf spoke with us from Germany about Leipzig String Quartet’s upcoming North American tour and their stop at the Musical Instrument Museum.
Question: What type of music are you performing on this tour?
Answer: It is divided. On one hand, there is the romantic repertoire, including the Schumann cycle. We play all three quartets by Schumann.
Then, on the other hand, in Florida, for instance, we have “Choose Your Own Beethoven.” We let the audience choose the quartets they want to hear, either early Beethoven, middle or late Beethoven.
Usually, it’s done by votes on the Internet. Then, we play those Beethoven quartets.
Q: How do you choose the music you perform? Are you looking for a theme when selecting music?
A: It has to tell a story for a nice evening of music. Maybe it’s the composers or the tonality of the music or the background of the works.
Q: Leipzig String Quartet has been performing together for 25 years. How do the four of you keep it fresh and exciting?
A: We have had only one switch five years ago with first violin, but all the other members have been together for 25 years.
The first principle for us when we go on tour is that we go with a very large repertoire. We don’t want to play the same program each evening. At a minimum, we want to play at least one different work each evening. On this tour, we have 25 different works. So, you feel fresh on stage when the last time you performed a specific work was two weeks ago. We are also very interested in creating different sounds, from early Haydn to early 21st-century composers.
Q: Are the audiences in the United States different from audiences in other parts of the world?
A: The U.S. audience is not different. But there are differences in different parts of the country. On the East Coast, like New York City or Washington, D.C., they are completely different from an audience in Alabama or Napa Valley.
Sometimes, you can feel the difference in the performance. The people are the bridge to our performance. And it’s fantastic to meet people from completely different areas who share the same interest in the music and culture of a completely different country.
The most important thing for us is that people come to hear us with an open mind. You become connected to the roots of where the music came from. When I listen to music in other parts of the world, like in Japan, you can learn a lot about a culture. If you are in front of people who are from the same cultural background that music comes from, that paintings come from or that literature comes from, it’s important to approach it with an open mind.