Chamber concert at the Spiegelsaal: String quartet

A perfect programme for our chamber-musical passion on 16 strings – featuring impressive works and funny twists to ensure excellent entertainment and a few laughs along the way. The quartet by Mendelssohn’s sister Fanny Hensel was written in 1834: it begins with an inventive first movement that leads, through a stormy allegretto and an expressive romance, to a boisterous finale. Shostakovich wrote his two string quartet miniatures in 1931 in a single night as arrangements of two pieces from his stage works – and the meditative elegy based on an aria from his opera “Lady Macbeth” is one of his most moving compositions. The polka that follows, by contrast, takes the form of a musical grimace: it has its origins in the ballet The Golden Age and is a wacky dance with deliberately wrong notes – whose humour is sure to put everyone in a good mood. Nielsen’s F major quartet is also a playful game with the listener’s expectations: it turns out to be an entertaining delight – no wonder, since it was written in 1906 at the same time as his comical opera “Maskarade”. And that’s not all: Haydn also took great delight in playing tricks on his concert audiences. His mischievous nature left wonderful traces in his E-flat major quartet of 1781, which bears its nickname for its humorous and surprising twists and turns. This is particularly true of the final movement, which is really funny with its catchy theme. And one thing may be revealed at this point: caution is advised, as it is not entirely clear when the lively string playing actually comes to an end – so better not to applaud too soon.

Tickets from 25.08.2025 10 a.m.