Meta4 (strijkkwartet)

DER TOD UND DAS MÄDCHEN

It is not often that an ensemble takes the concert world by storm as the Finnish 'miracle quartet' Meta4. With their urgent music-making style and their heart on their sleeve, they string together the prestigious awards. This time they tackle one of the biggest hits: Der Tod und das Mädchen, perhaps the most moving expression ever of the struggle between life and death. Despite the distance in time and style, Black Angels, as grim as it is attractively contemporary, fits in well with this. Not only does Crumb briefly quote Der Tod, just like Schubert he plays violin and cello against each other, this time cast as devil's music (including all the clichés) versus the voice of God. Fascinating to listen to and see: in addition to their familiar instruments, the musicians also use crystal glasses filled with water. They also use thimbles (after Black Sabbath?), hit maracas and shout numbers in the most diverse languages.

Meta4: Antti Tikkanen (violin), Minna Pensola (violin) , Atte Kilpeläinen (viola), Tomas Djupsöbacka (cello).

Meta4 gives a free chamber music masterclass on November 25 and 26 2012.