The Leonkoro Quartet presented a transcendent evening of chamber music mastery. In the intimate acoustical jewel of Buttenwieser Hall at the Arnhold Center, the Leonkoro String Quartet delivered a performance of such breathtaking virtuosity and emotional depth that time seemed suspended. The concert on March 29 traversed three centuries of chamber music with astonishing technical precision and interpretive maturity that belied the ensemble's relatively recent formation in 2019.The String Quartet is Authentic and MiraculousMusic written for a string quartet is special. A superb ensemble like the Leonkoro Quartet performing quartet masterpieces is miraculous! I'll explain.Unlike a symphony's grandeur or a concerto's lushness, the quartet is intimate. Thriving in small halls and private salons, the audience hears the breathing, the scraping of bows, and the sighs of each phrase. Composers often use the form to express their most personal, unfiltered thoughts.Spiritual Reflection through MusicBeethoven’s Heiliger Dankgesang in Op. 132, for example, is a deeply spiritual reflection on his recovery from illness. Bartók's string quartets trace a journey through dissonance, folk music, and modernism. Schubert's Death and the Maiden quartet is haunted by mortality. These are not works of public display—they are confessions.It's telling that many composers wrote their first quartet only after honing their voice:Beethoven didn't publish his Op. 18 quartets until age 30.Brahms, forever haunted by Beethoven's shadow, waited until age 40.Shostakovich didn't write his first until age 32, after several symphonies and operas.Caroline Shaw, a contemporary master, waited until 2009 to write her first, despite having been a violinist from childhood.Why? Because the quartet demands authenticity. It is, as musicologist Joseph Kerman once wrote, "the composer's form," not just for the fingers but for the soul.So, the string quartet represents the summit of musical artistry not because it is large, loud, or dramatic—but because it is honest. It is architecture in sound, conversation in tone, and emotion in motion. Writing a great one is a sign not just of a composer's skill but of their maturity as an artist and a human being.Here's a sample of the Leonkoro Quartet performing Puccini's heartfelt "Crisantemi": View this post on Instagram A post shared by Leonkoro Quartet (@leonkoroquartet)The Leonkoro Quartet: Young Lions with Veteran HeartsFrom the opening notes of Caroline Shaw's "Entr'acte," it was immediately apparent that listeners were experiencing a string quartet of exceptional caliber. The Leonkoro Quartet—whose name appropriately derives from the Esperanto for "lionheart"—performed while standing (except for cellist Lukas Schwarz), creating a visual fluidity mirroring their musical flexibility. This physical approach enhanced their already remarkable communication and dynamic cohesion.First violinist Jonathan Schwarz led with aristocratic poise and searing intensity, drawing a spectrum of colors from his instrument. His brother Lukas anchored the ensemble with a cello tone of extraordinary warmth and resonance. Second violinist Amelie Wallner displayed remarkable versatility, alternately supporting and emerging from the texture with impeccable judgment. Meanwhile, violist Mayu Konoe provided the crucial inner voice with eloquent expression and technical brilliance. Jonathan Schwarz, Violin and Amelie Wallner, Violin. Courtesy leonkoroquartet.comShaw's "Entr'acte": Contemporary Magic Through Classical InspirationThe Leonkoro Quartet approached Caroline Shaw's "Entr'acte" with a kaleidoscopic range of sounds and techniques. Written in 2011 and inspired by Haydn's String Quartet in F Major, Shaw's piece reimagines the classical minuet and trio form through a contemporary prism. The quartet masterfully navigated its technical demands, including virtuosic left-hand pizzicato, eerie sul ponticello effects, and delicate harmonics.Moreover, the ensemble's impeccable control of dynamics brought Shaw's subtle phrases to life with crystalline clarity. The work's dénouement featured Schwarz's cello executing triple stops in a pizzicato style reminiscent of a harp or guitar—a moment of transfixing beauty rendered with consummate skill. Paul Hindemith in the USA (1939-40). See page for author, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia CommonsHindemith's Wartime Masterpiece: Leonkoro Quartet Scales Dramatic HeightsPaul Hindemith's String Quartet No. 2 in F Minor emerged as the evening's dramatic centerpiece. Composed during World War I while the 22-year-old Hindemith served as a military sentry, this powerful work received a reading of extraordinary intensity from the Leonkoro Quartet. The ensemble displayed their extensive dramatic range in hushed, mysterious passages or moments of lush romantic expression.The quartet navigated the first movement's ghostly fugue with spectral precision. Subsequently, they brought wit and character to the variations movement, honoring Hindemith's blend of tradition and innovation. The waltz variation lilted gracefully while the scherzo passages sparkled with brilliant virtuosity. Each quartet member projected a rich, expressive presence throughout this musical powerhouse.In the finale's fast, furious sections, the ensemble continued to demonstrate their flawless technique and superb ensemble skills. Furthermore, they honored Hindemith's artistic intent with remarkable fidelity, bringing his war-born masterpiece to vivid life. Most impressively, the young quartet displayed virtuosity and the maturity to sustain lengthy musical passages of profound depth and character. Mayu Konoe, Viola and Lucas Schwarz, Cello. Courtesy leonkoroquartet.comBeethoven's Late Masterwork: The Summit of String Quartet WritingAfter intermission, the Leonkoro Quartet tackled Beethoven's monumental String Quartet No. 15 in A Minor, Op. 132, with the same exceptional skill and insight they had brought to the earlier works. This late-period masterpiece, composed during Beethoven's convalescence in 1825, received an interpretation of sublime brilliance and spiritual depth.The quartet's communication on stage approached telepathy, ensuring the most subtle passages were executed with perfect precision—their approach to Beethoven's complex opening movement balanced intellectual rigor with emotional intensity. The second movement flowed with elegant restraint, preparing the audience for the profound heart of the work."Heiliger Dankgesang": A Sacred Musical OfferingThe central movement, "Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit" (Holy Song of Thanksgiving from a Convalescent to the Divinity), revealed the Leonkoro Quartet's exceptional capacity for sustained spiritual expression. This extended movement—Beethoven's gratitude for recovery from serious illness—unfolded with transcendent beauty.The ensemble rendered the Lydian mode sections with a luminous transparency that seemed to lift the music toward the divine. Subsequently, the contrasting "feeling new strength" sections brought gentle vitality before returning to contemplation. The quartet's sensitivity to the music and each other's subtle inflections was extraordinary.The march and finale received equally magnificent treatment. The ensemble navigated Beethoven's ambiguous emotional terrain with remarkable insight. Their approach to this ambitious, glorious, and elegiac music honored Beethoven's genius with technical aplomb and profound understanding. Portret van Ludwig van Beethoven. Public DomainThree Masterworks: A Timeline of Chamber Music EvolutionThis carefully constructed program illuminated the evolution of the string quartet from Beethoven's transcendent late period to our contemporary moment. Beethoven's Op. 132, composed when completely deaf, pushed the boundaries of chamber music into previously unimaginable realms of expression. Nearly a century later, Hindemith—a violist and quartet performer—crafted his F Minor quartet while surviving the trenches of World War I.Caroline Shaw, whose "Entr'acte" opened the program, represents the quartet's vibrant present and future. Inspired directly by Haydn (the form's originator) but employing contemporary techniques, Shaw connects a 250-year tradition to our current musical language. This brilliant programming by the Leonkoro Quartet illuminated the string quartet's remarkable journey through musical history.Buttenwieser Hall: A Perfect Setting for Chamber Music IntimacyThe 92nd Street Y's Buttenwieser Hall at the Arnhold Center provided an ideal acoustic environment for this extraordinary performance. The warm, intimate space allowed whispered pianissimos and forceful fortissimos to register with perfect clarity. Furthermore, its excellent sight lines created an immersive experience where audience members could observe the quartet's subtle visual communication.This historic venue has long been one of New York's premier chamber music destinations. Indeed, its legacy includes performances by legendary ensembles from the Budapest Quartet to the Emerson. The Leonkoro Quartet now joins this illustrious lineage, having conquered the hall with their exceptional artistry.The post-concert reception in Buttenwieser Lounge offered a delightful opportunity for audience members to discuss the revelatory performance they had just experienced. Many lingered, clearly reluctant for such a magical evening to end. The Leonkoro Quartet had delivered not merely a concert but a profound musical communion.As this extraordinary young ensemble continues its first North American tour, music lovers in Boston, Montreal, Chicago, Houston, and San Francisco have transformative experiences awaiting them. Based on this triumphant New York debut, their ascent to the highest echelon of international chamber ensembles seems not just likely but inevitable. Click the next photo for information about their current tour. Leonkoro Quartet. L-R: Lukas Schwarz, Cello, Jonathan Schwarz, Violin, Mayu Konoe, Viola, and Amelie Wallner, Violin. Courtesy leonkoroquartet.comThe 92ND Street YTheresa L. Kaufman Concert HallThe 92nd Street Y, New York1395 Lexington Avenue(between 91st & 92nd street)New York, NY 10128For tickets and information on the current Concert Season, visit www.92NY.org.Readers may also enjoy High Octane Octet: The ACO at Weill Recital Hall, and Tapping into the Twenties: The ASO and Forgotten Marvels at David Geffen Hall. RELATED https://youtu.be/0-jus6AGHzQ?si=ZlA1r1pBi4wjcEG9 Read the full article
