It has always been a wonderfully exciting experience to play Béla Bartók. His music has everything: the mysterious tension of a thriller, loving lyricism, warm string sounds, almost impossible techniques challenging any string player to rediscover his instrument, and exhilarating rhythms which could well be rooted in the folk dance of his region. His music has fascinated us for years, so we decided to record all six string quartets.
Bartók Bound volume 1 was released in the spring of 2019 and received raving reviews in Dutch national news papers and Gramophone. The release of the second CD is planned in the ’20-’21 season.
We have declared ourselves Bartók Bound these coming years. We delve deep into his music and present his quartets in all sorts of ways and all kinds of programmes. For both the less and more experienced listeners, in pubs, in a show for children, on CD or the internet and in concert halls of course. We wish to break a lance for Béla Bartók: as far as we are concerned his sound cannot be heard often enough!