Helmut Lachenmann focus at the Streichquartettfest 2025

From 23 to 26 January 2025, the Heidelberger Frühling Streichquartettfest will not only be celebrating its 20th anniversary, but also the 90th birthday of composer Helmut Lachenmann. Based on his three string quartets, five international string quartets and two lecturers will dedicate themselves to Lachenmann’s multifaceted sound world in around ten events.

The programme of the Streichquartettfest 2025 revolves around Helmut Lachenmann’s three string quartets, which – in the words of the composer – mark turning points in his compositional practice. In his first quartet “Gran Torso” for this “good, old, venerable and tradition-laden instrumentation”, Lachenmann focuses on the production of sound and thus develops a new concept of material for himself and his compositional work. He draws on this in his 2nd quartet “Reigen seliger Geister”, in which he concentrates solely on pressureless flautato playing, which is always on the lowest edge of audibility, and thus on a single style of playing. In his third quartet, “Grido”, Lachenmann turns the familiar into the opposite, scrutinising, reflecting and experimenting without questioning the development of the two previous works.

The programme also includes Ludwig van Beethoven’s late string quartets and selected works by Béla Bartók, placing Lachenmann’s quartets in the context of two of the most innovative and experimental groups of works of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Some exemplary works of the post-war avant-garde will also be heard, as well as more popular works of the string quartet literature. The selection of quartets ranges from young to more established ensembles, whose encounters the festival has been actively promoting and facilitating for many years.

In addition to the concerts, Lachenmann’s compositional work will be the subject of three workshops, which will familiarise the young quartets and the audience with his music, explain it and encourage active observation.

The Lachenmann focus at the Heidelberger Frühling Streichquartettfest 2025 is supoorted by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

Further information:
heidelberger-fruehling.de

Dates

January 23 – 26, 2025
Alte Pädagogische Hochschule, Heidelberg