Description
There are works that seem to be separated by centuries, yet explore the very same fundamental questions. Franz Schubert's String Quartet in D minor, D 810, Death and the Maiden, and David Philip Hefti's Seventh String Quartet, To the End of Time, belong to this rare category. At first glance, they appear to represent two opposing worlds: a landmark of the Romantic repertoire and a contemporary composition. Yet when heard together, they unfold into a compelling dialogue about mortality, memory, and the transformative power of music. With this recording, the Amaryllis Quartett continues its long-standing engagement with the music of the Swiss composer David Philip Hefti. Over many years, ensemble and composer have developed a close artistic partnership that has resulted in numerous world premieres, concerts, and recordings. Hefti's Seventh String Quartet was originally commissioned for a ballet production in which it was conceived as a companion to Schubert's Death and the Maiden. Hefti's work is by no means a modern arrangement of Schubert. Rather, it is an independent composition whose musical memory continually points towards Schubert. In contrast stands one of the supreme chamber music masterpieces of the nineteenth century. The juxtaposition of these two works opens unexpected perspectives. Schubert confronts the existential conflict directly; Hefti reflects upon it from the distance of history. The result is an exceptional album that does not separate past and present but allows them to engage in a profound musical conversation--a dialogue about the end of time and, at the same time, about the timeless power of music.
