Rising Stars – Aris Quartett

The multi-award-winning German Aris Quartett was founded in 2009. They have recorded a handful of acclaimed albums and have performed on the most prestigious stages, including Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Aris, the quartet’s name, is constructed from the last letters of the members’ first names. 

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s Quartet in F minor was composed in 1847, the year of his death, and it was his last major work. It is a tribute to his equally gifted and much beloved sister Fanny, who passed away earlier that year – an event that infiltrates this dark and sorrowful music. Two decades later, Edvard Grieg composed his only preserved and completed quartet. This simmering music inspired many of his colleagues. A great deal of folk music is evident here, and the main theme is based on one of Grieg’s only songs: Fiddlers. 

Between these classics, we hear new compositions: Japanese Misato Mochizuki (born 1969) composed in-side for the Aris Quartett, which gave the world premiere in 2020. The piece is part of a larger cycle for quartet, which she entitled Brains. The music is inspired by old Japanese myths about the origins and growth of the world. 

Aris Quartett’s concert at Konserthuset during the pandemic in 2021 can be watched on Konserthuset Play.