Program
Quartettsatz in A minor
Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911)
Piano Quartet No. 2 in g-minor
Gabriel Fauré (1845 - 1924)
Allegro molto moderato
Allegro molto
Adagio non troppo
Finale—allegro molto
INTERMISSION
Piano Quintet in A Major, D. 667
Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828)
Allegro vivace
Andante
Scherzo: Presto
Andantino – Allegretto
Allegro giusto
Fauré Piano Quartet: Expanding the Expectations of Chamber Music
The requirements have changed; chamber musicians today can’t be limited to the rules of decades ago. And evolving expectations regarding the diversity of repertoire has created room for ensembles such as the Fauré Piano Quartet, which has established itself as one of the world’s leading piano quartets since signing its first recording contract in 2006.
Comprising pianist Dirk Mommertz, violinist Erika Geldsetzer, violist Sascha Frömbling, and cellist Konstantin Heidrich, the group has earned a well-deserved reputation as visionary challenging tradition. Indeed, after they met during their studies in 1995 in Karlsruhe for the 150th anniversary of Gabriel Faure, members quickly realized that this combination could yield new insights into undiscovered repertoire. In 2006, they signed a contract with Deutsche Grammophon, promoting them to the Champions League of the classic music business. They made highly regarded benchmark recordings with works by Mozart, Brahms, Mendelssohn, not to mention pop songs written by Peter Gabriel and Steely Dan.The quartet showcases its nonconventional approach with international tours,and ithas appeared in the world’s most important chamber music venues, including Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Berlin Philharmony, Teatro Colon Buenos Aires, and Wigmore Hall London.
The Fauré Piano Quartet’s approach has led to collaborations with artists such as Rufus Wainwright and Sven Helbig. When the quartet released its album Popsongsin 2009, there was a great deal of buzz in the press and among audiences. The following year, the ensemble was awarded the ECHO Classic for its album Classic Beyond Borders, and the group’s recording of Brahms’ piano quartets earned the Chamber Music Recording of the Year in 2008. Other prizes include the German Music Competition, the Ensemble Prize from Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Music Prize Duisburg, and the Brahms Prize Schleswig Holstein awarded by the Brahms Society of Schleswig-Holstein.
While worldwide tours raise their profile abroad, international masterclasses are part of their work with students. Fauré Piano Quartet members teach at the universities of Berlin and Essen. Moreover, they are artistic directors of “Festspielfrühling Rügen” as well as ‘Quartet in Residence’ at the University of Music Karlsruhe.