Beethoven – Widmann – Brahms Malion Quartett

• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827): String Quartet in F major op. 18 No. 1:
• 1 Beethoven: String Quartet in F major op. 18 No. 1: I. Allegro con brio 09:02
• 2 Beethoven: String Quartet in F major op. 18 No. 1: II. Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato 09:39
• 3 Beethoven: String Quartet in F major op. 18 No. 1: III. Scherzo. Allegro molto 03:12
• 4 Beethoven: String Quartet in F major op. 18 No. 1: IV. Allegro 06:25
• Jörg Widmann (b. 1973): String Quartet No. 1:
• 5 Widmann: String Quartet No. 1 13:31
• Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897): String Quartet in A minor op. 51 No. 2:
• 6 Brahms: String Quartet in A minor op. 51 No. 2: I. Allegro non troppo 13:58
• 7 Brahms: String Quartet in A minor op. 51 No. 2: II. Andante moderato 09:48
• 8 Brahms: String Quartet in A minor op. 51 No. 2: III. Quasi Minuetto, moderato – Allegretto vivace 05:22
• 9 Brahms: String Quartet in A minor op. 51 No. 2: IV. Finale. Allegro non assai 07:21
• Total Runtime 01:18:18

Info for Beethoven – Widmann – Brahms

It is often said that the string quartet is the "supreme discipline of chamber music". And indeed, the four-part movement of equal voices was and is a challenge. For Beethoven, for Brahms and also for Widmann. All three composers are represented in the programme of this production.

It took some time for each of them to go public with their first contribution to the genre. After all, there were great, respect-inspiring role models in the background. For Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart were the benchmark, Brahms had to work his way up to the "giant" Beethoven - and Jörg Widmann can look back on a rich tradition spanning well over two centuries.

With its debut album on KALEIDOS, the multi-award-winning Malion Quartet presents "first string quartets" by these composers from the classical, romantic and modern periods.

Malion Quartet

The Malion Quartet
is considered to be one of the most versatile quartets of the young, up-and-coming generation. Founded in Frankfurt in 2018, the young quartet has enjoyed a growing career on the international stage, as well as pursuing new concert formats for which they have received great acclaim.

Shortly after the quartet’s foundation, they became scholarship holders in the Foundation Villa Musica Rheinland-Pfalz, and have won numerous prizes at national and international competitions such as the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb 2022, as well as the International String Quartet Competition of the Irene Steels-Wilsing-Foundation 2023 and the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition 2023. In addition, the four young musicians have received important scholarships from the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben, the PE-Förderungen Mannheim and the highly endowed Ensemble Scholarship from the Society of Friends and Sponsors of the HfMDK Frankfurt.

The quartet has appeared in concert at the Alte Oper Frankfurt, the Cologne Philharmonic, London’s Wigmore Hall, the Izumi Hall in Osaka, Beethovenfest in Bonn, and Cité de la Musique, Paris, as part of the String Quartet Biennale 2022. The ensemble was selected as “Quartet in Residence” at the Holzhausenschlösschen in Frankfurt for 2023, following internationally established quartets such as the Aris Quartet and the Eliot Quartet. As part of their debut at the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 2023, they collaborated with artists such as Alfred Brendel, Kit Armstrong and Quatuor Hanson. Other special artistic collaborations include “Kosmos Widmann” with the composer Jörg Widmann in the Heidelberger Frühling Festival 2021, along with chamber music collaborations with Martin Stadtfeld, Hariolf Schlichtig and the Vogler Quartet.

A passionate advocate of music education, it is particularly important to the ensemble to bring unusual concerts to a broad audience. This has inspired the development of their own special concert format: ON/OFFstage. Based on this concept, the group founded many of its own projects, such as the Malion Music Festival and a concert series called “What has Beethoven got to do with me?”. Their music video of Beethoven’s “Große Fuge” was nominated for an Opus Klassik 2022 award. The Malion Quartet’s diverse projects have also included numerous recordings for SWR and WDR, as well as performing as guests on the “Einstand” radio show on Deutschlandradio Kultur.

The young quartet is generously supported by the Deutsche Musikrat, GVL, Deutsche Orchester-Stiftung, PE-Förderungen Mannheim and Freunde der Villa Musica. In addition, the ensemble was given the honour of being accepted into the scholarship programme of the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben as well as the European MERITA Platform. The quartet has received essential musical guidance, working intensively with Prof. Eberhard Feltz, as well as members of the Alban Berg Quartet and Cuarteto Casals. They receive regular lessons from Prof. Tim Vogler at the HfMDK Frankfurt and Prof. Oliver Wille at the HMTM Hannover.

Booklet for Beethoven – Widmann – Brahms