The Marmen Quartet shall be kicking off their North American tour in Toronto on March 13, adopted by Texas and New Orleans earlier than heading again to Europe. The live performance is a part of the Music within the Afternoon sequence on the College of Toronto’s Walter Corridor.
Primarily based within the UK, the Marmen Quartet is: Johannes Marmén, violin; Laia Valentin Braun, violin; Bryony Gibson-Cornish, viola; Sinead O’Halloran, cello. 2019 was a banner 12 months for the younger quartet with double wins of Grand Prize on the Bordeaux Worldwide String Quartet Competitors, and joint First Prize on the Banff Worldwide String Quartet Competitors.
It set their course for a profession that has included intensive touring, in addition to recording. Their 24/25 season contains recitals in Wigmore Corridor, and in Cambridge, UK, Frankfurt, and per week on the Ortús Chamber Music Pageant in Cork, Eire.
Their latest launch (January 2025 on the BIS label), titled György Ligeti: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2; Béla Bartók: String Quartet No. 4, is garnering wonderful evaluations, with writers noting the power and vitality of their interpretations.
For his or her Toronto afternoon live performance, they’ll be performing Haydn’s Op 33 No. 2 “The Joke”, Bartók 3, Debussy’s String Quartet Op 10, and “Heal” by New Zealand composer Salina Fisher.
The Toronto efficiency is lengthy awaited; it was initially scheduled, after which cancelled, through the pandemic.
We caught up with Johannes Marmén to ask just a few questions concerning the ensemble and what they’ll be bringing to their Toronto live performance.
Johannes Marmén: Q&A
LvT: The quartet was fashioned in 2013 when you have been finding out on the Royal School of Music — did you assume you’ll nonetheless be performing collectively a dozen years later? To what do you attribute your longevity as an ensemble?
JM: Once we began the quartet, we didn’t have skilled ambitions, we merely wished to benefit from the rehearsal course of and diving deeper into music by Haydn and Beethoven. In a approach, I believe this sense of pleasure in rehearsals and love for the music is what underpins our want to preserve going.
LvT: Your success at two worldwide competitions got here simply earlier than the pandemic shut every thing down so far as touring for a while. But, you appear to have recovered your momentum, at the very least this 12 months. How did you climate the pandemic, and the transition again to reside efficiency?
JM: One of many results of the pandemic was that our 2020 schedule ended up being unfold out throughout a number of years, which was in some ways a superb factor. Earlier than the competitions, we had labored extremely exhausting and barely seen our households for months, so this pressured sabbatical wasn’t as disruptive as one may think. It was very disheartening work to be continuously coping with cancellations although, and never figuring out when issues could be again to was each a psychological and technical problem.
LvT: In regards to the repertoire on your Toronto recital — together with a bit by New Zealand composer Salina Fisher. The quartet additionally commissioned a bit from her through the pandemic. What’s it about this composer that pulls you to her work?
JM: We love how Salina’s musical language communicates instantly and universally, and likewise that we’ve a private connection to her. She is a childhood pal of Bryony’s (our viola participant). This specific piece additionally suits very properly into a wide range of programes which makes it very versatile and rewarding to play in numerous totally different contexts.
LvT: So far as different repertoire, the quartet appears to have a variety by way of model and period. What do you search for in the case of what you want to add to your repertoire? What sorts of works do you get pleasure from?
JM: At any given time we’ve a backlog of items that all of us love and need to be taught. This choice to some extent displays our preferences or style as a bunch. Extra now than ever although, which of these items is subsequent to make it into our repertoire is determined by issues like recording plans, particular efficiency initiatives or themes in competition engagements. As a really blanket assertion although, we get pleasure from taking part in items that encourage rigorous dialogue, vital quantity of rehearsals and stimulating performances!
LvT: To your latest launch on BIS Information, you’ve chosen masterpieces from the twentieth century repertoire for string quartets. Why these items (to place it merely)? What qualities drew you to them? Do you could have a plan for future recordings — i.e. specializing in particular items or durations?
JM: We had been taking part in Ligeti’s first quartet for some time once we began discussions with BIS Information. They liked our rendition of it in live performance and steered that we construct a debut album round it, and fairly logically we ended up with Ligeti’s second and Bartók’s fourth to finish the disc. There are such a lot of qualities in these items that we love; the rawness, the boldness, the dedication to pushing boundaries of sound and expression. Relating to future recordings we have already got one album prepared for launch in 2026, with Debussy, Takemitsu and Ravel. Additional down the road we’ve plans on recording Haydn, extra Bartók and hopefully plenty of different thrilling issues as properly!
- Discover extra data and tickets to the March 13 live performance [HERE].
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Anya Wassenberg is a Toronto Metropolis Editor at Ludwig Van. She is an skilled freelance author, blogger and writing teacher.
