June 27, 2023

The Strad Recommends Signum Quartett’s “Lebensmuth”

“The players’ coordination is breathtaking both in terms of ensemble and intonation, and their observation of dynamics and articulation guarantees that the work’s emotional impact is fully realised.”

Lebensmuth, performed by Signum Quartett, received a wonderful review from The Strad.

The coupling of Schubert’s first and last works for string quartet makes a telling comparison. The G major D887, for all its challenges and ambiguities, is a known quantity. The works from Schubert’s teens, though, show the composer learning to build a musical argument, even as he struggles to make his material work for him.

The virtues of this ensemble come to the fore in D887. Its combined tone is rich and well nourished, even in the ghostly shiverings of the opening movement, the gleam around the edge of the sound not diminishing the desolation of the bleak slow movement. The players’ coordination is breathtaking both in terms of ensemble and intonation, and their observation of dynamics and articulation guarantees that the work’s emotional impact is fully realised.

David Threasher

Read the full review HERE.