The Artists
»It’s hard not to fall in love with this quartet,« the New York Times enthuses about the Szymanowski Quartet, which has been based in Hanover for over 20 years. The quartet takes its name from the Polish composer Karol Szymanowski, who is honoured in his native land as a precursor of the modern age. The four musicians have often played together with Michail Lifits. The Uzbekistani pianist relocated to Germany when he was 16, and has since been living in Hanover – how practical! In this session, the cellist Alexey Stadler substitutes for Monika Leskovar.
Performers
Szymanowski Quartet
Agata Szymczewska violin
Robert Kowalski violin
Volodia Mykytka viola
Alexey Stadler violoncello
Michail Lifits piano
Video from 27 March 2020
The Music :Mieczysław Weinberg: Piano Quintet Op. 18
All five musicians are especially fond of 20th century music, and they are all keen supporters of the works of Eastern European composers. Both these attributes are united in the Polish-Jewish composer Mieczysław Weinberg, who was overshadowed for a long time by his friend and mentor Dmitri Shostakovich. Unjustly so, as the international music scene has recognised in recent years. Weinberg’s music is permeated on the one hand by an immense drive, but on the other it is as fragile as glass, and this also applies to the Piano Quintet, which he wrote during the Second World War.
The Location
The Recital Hall of Hamburg’s Laeiszhalle has an intimate atmosphere that makes it a perfect setting for chamber music recitals. Refurbished after the war, it is one of the few remaining concert halls with authentic 1950s design, and can seat up to 640 people.
