Professor Johannes Meissl
The String Quartet – Music’s Supreme Discipline

“The string quartet emerged in the mid-18th century; Joseph Haydn is regarded as the founder of this form. He created a genre that allowed musicians to play together in a very special way, and to share thoughts and emotions with one another.

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The string quartet is an exceptional form: it builds a bridge between the small ensemble and the sonic impact of an orchestra. It brings together the autonomous individualities of four outstanding soloists within one group, while preserving the independence of each voice.

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What makes it so fascinating is the constant interplay of alliances and sonic pairings, which can change continuously. Depending on what each instrument contributes at any given moment, a flexible, functional hierarchy emerges. There is no fixed division of roles in which the first violin is always “the leader” or the cello is always the radiant soloist. Rather, all four instruments take on the leading role in different sections of a work — making it possible to experience musical complexity in a deeply tangible and positive way.

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It is no coincidence that this format continues to fascinate particularly talented young musicians today: the string quartet is considered the supreme discipline of European classical music.
All the great composers felt challenged to write string quartets in order to demonstrate their compositional mastery. The repertoire is now so vast that no quartet could perform all of these works over the course of a musician’s lifetime.”