The Berlin-based Vision String Quartet has set out to transform the way classical music is presented and perceived, and to reach new audiences. These award-winning artists have performed in many of Europe’s most important concert halls, such as the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Philharmonie Luxembourg, and London’s Wigmore Hall. During their concert at the NFM, they will combine the late Romantic music of Edvard Grieg and their own compositions released on the album Spectrum, in which the ensemble members also draw on associations with folk music and its energy.

Edvard Grieg’s String Quartet in G minor was composed between 1877 and 1878 during the composer’s stay in the beautiful Hardanger region in the western part of his homeland, known for the production of folk instruments resembling violins. By challenging classical genre patterns in the piece, the Norwegian composer created one of the most important chamber-music works of his era. He based the themes for all movements on the song Spillemænd (meaning a medieval wandering singer or comedian), with lyrics by Henrik Ibsen. By writing the music in this way, Grieg achieved an unprecedented sense of uniformity and stability. This remarkably innovative approach did not mean he shied away from incorporating Scandinavian dance rhythms – after all, Grieg is considered Norway’s national artist. The finale, surprisingly, is a stylisation of the lively Italian dance, the saltarella.

The Spectrum album, released by Warner Classics, contains thirteen pieces, some of which the artists will perform in the second half of the concert. They were composed by the musicians of the vision string quartet: Jakob Encke (who will be substituted by Florian Willeitner in Wrocław), Daniel Stoll, Sander Stuart, and Leonard Disselhorst. In composing the album, they drew inspiration from folk, pop, rock, funk, minimalist music, and stage song traditions, and did not limit themselves to the three classic string quartet instruments – on Spectrum, a guitar, an ukulele, bongos, and a drum kit are also featured. The music creates a vibrant blend that transcends stylistic conventions, line-ups, and the traditional distinction between performer and composer. In this way, it demonstrates the direction taken by contemporary string quartets.