Quatuor Ébène / Antoine Tamestit

Pure Mozart

The New York Times called Quatuor Ébène »a string quartet that can easily morph into a jazz band«. For more than 20 years, the ensemble has belonged to the crème de la crème of the string quartet scene. With technical brilliance, a perfectly balanced sound and captivating musicality, the four French musicians delight audiences around the world. For their next visit to Hamburg they have invited their compatriot, the star violist Antoine Tamestit, to perform Mozart’s string quintets with them. The two quintets, which Mozart composed in his final years, form a similar dualism to his two final symphonies in the exact same keys: the G-minor work is suspenseful, deeply emotional and almost romantic, while the counterpole in C major – Mozart’s longest chamber music piece – exudes a festive radiance. Despite their differences, both pieces delightfully enhance the quartet setting with the addition of the viola, bringing together the concentration of chamber music and the opulence and variety of a small string orchestra.