New Artist of the Month:
Apollon Musagète Quartett

As it turned out, that appearance marked the quartet’s U.S. debut, as confirmed by second violin Bartosz Zachlod when I telephoned him at his home in the German city of Nuremberg (musically famous as the home of Wagner’s Mastersingers). “We had a few other U.S. appearances in the past, like a tour with [crossover artist] Tori Amos in 2011 promoting her CD Night of Hunters recorded for DG, or in 2008 when we did a master workshop with the members of Emerson String Quartet at SUNY Stony Brook, which focused on the practical aspects of the career of a string quartet in addition to playing concerts. But in terms of our concert activities, Carnegie Hall was our U.S. debut.” (It was followed by a performance at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C.)

 

The players (except for cellist Piotr Skweres, who sits atop a platform) stand while performing. It is untraditional and many, including myself, find it quirky.  Zachlod explained: “We had to stand for a performance of Spohr’s Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra with the Dresden Philharmonic. We discovered that we enjoyed the greater freedom of movement it gave us, so we began performing that way.”

 

Hearing them in Weill Hall, I was impressed by their unanimity of sound and excellent ensemble, but also surprised by how little they looked at each other in the usual manner of a seated foursome. That suggested intense rehearsal, which Zachlod confirmed, adding that they strove to think about a phrase the same way. “If we do that it will sound,” he said. They sometimes rehearse in darkness to emphasize listening over looking. “We can play any piece in our repertoire from memory,” Zachlod said, “but we keep the score before us for all the details beyond the notes, such as dynamics and accents.”

 

Coming together officially in Vienna in 2006, the quartet members learned about each other through the Warsaw Conservatory, which all attended if not simultaneously.  All four regarded their Polish heritage, language, and common cultural background as advantageous. Zachlod explained their name: “We wanted a name that might suggest our musical point of view, a synthesis of the arts under Apollo’s leadership. So it came from classical mythology --  not Stravinsky.”

 

In 2008, the Quartet won first prize and almost all the special prizes at the 57th ARD International Music Competition, perhaps Germany’s most prestigious, wth alumni including the likes of Mitsuko Uchida, Christian  Tetzlaff, and Thomas Quasthoff (the categories rotate). In 2010 came its debut at the Berlin Philharmonie. Soon afterward, it was nominated for the Rising Stars program that brought performances throughout Europe, from Athens to London. Last year, the quartet played 100 concerts.

 

Rehearsals mostly take place in Nuremberg, said Zachlod. “Piotr Skweres lives in Vienna and [violist] Piotr Szumiel in Dresden but [violinist]Pavel Zalejski and I are based in Nuremberg, which is centrally located with easy access to rail and air transportation. We most often rehearse there, because Pavel’s house is spacious. Occasionally, we will use a studio to record something for evaluation, or try something out in a private home concert.”

 

The current season will bring a round of European appearances, but also the start of a stint as BBC 3 New Generation Artists, a two-year appointment that includes broadcasting, concerts, and recordings. Oehms Classics is soon to release a new recording with works by Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich. 

 

An increasingly busy schedule, says Zachlod, is gratifying but comes with a cost. “We don’t spend much time apart, and two of us are parents of young children, so we have to work to have private lives.” A sign of professional success if ever there was one.