Whether in the 19th or 20th century: The string quartet is the supreme genre of chamber music, and every composer must consider it. Robert Schumann’s quartet cycle op. 41 is a stroke of genius; members of the Berliner Philharmoniker play numbers 1 and 3. Inspired by the quartets of Beethoven and Mendelssohn, Schumann created his own musical cosmos, full of poetry and instrumental song. Our late Composer in Residence Wolfgang Rihm, on the other hand, favours contrasts in his Fourth String Quartet. On the one hand, his work appears brusque, passionate and effervescent; on the other, tender, intimate and poetic.

EPSG:4326

String quartets by Schumann and Rihm

Berliner Philharmonie

Artist in Residence Seong-Jin Cho and members of the Berliner Philharmoniker unfold a panorama of Hungarian musical styles in this concert. Johannes Brahms was often inspired by Hungarian music in his works, for instance in the finale of his clarinet trio, which oscillates between deep emotion and serenity. The trio for violin, horn and piano, which the Hungarian György Ligeti wrote in homage to Brahms, is characterised by folk rhythms. The piano quintet by the young Béla Bartók, who would go on to revolutionise Hungarian music, is still very much rooted in the Romantic period. But even here – according to Seong-Jin Cho – you can sense “Bartók's musical future”.

Simon Roturier

Events

Past events

Jun 3, 2025

String quartets by Schumann and Rihm · Berliner Philharmoniker

Dec 9, 2024

Seong-Jin Cho and members of the Berliner Philharmoniker · Berliner Philharmoniker

Future and recently performed repertoire

Violin in String Quartet No. 3 by Schumann

Berliner Philharmoniker

Violin in String Quartet No. 1 by Schumann

Berliner Philharmoniker

Violin in Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano by Ligeti

Berliner Philharmoniker

Violin in String Quartet No. 4 by Rihm

Berliner Philharmoniker

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