On June 8, the third concert in the Sonus Foundation’s NewSpirit&Music series will take place at the Downtown St. Anne’s Church in Budapest. The concert series, curated by Ajtony Csaba, brings contemporary music into church buildings and focuses on four symbols: the equilibrium, the reach, the light, and the silence. The concert titled Light will feature the Vienna-based string quartet ensemble LUX. In connection with the ensemble’s first performance in Hungary, I had the chance to interview Thomas Wally, one of the founders of the quartet, about their ensemble, contemporary music, the string quartet genre and their upcoming concert in Budapest.
– Tell us about the formation of the ensemble. Why did you create it, and what were your objectives?
– We founded the ensemble in Vienna around 20 years ago, in 2004. We, the founding members, all attended the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, and our goal was to create a platform where we could perform our own compositions. We wanted our works to be heard beyond the walls of the university. After this initial enthusiastic period, we had to figure out the direction we wanted to take. That’s when we decided to include the interpretation of other contemporary music in our profile, and we started performing works by other contemporary composers. The current profile of the ensemble was thus formed in 2005 (for this reason, we are planning a birthday season for the upcoming year, 2025). The members of the string quartet have changed over the years, but the current formation has been working together for over ten years now.
– The program of the Budapest concert includes not only contemporary pieces but also works by 20th century composers. Has the ensemble’s profile changed over the years?
– Yes and no. We still consider contemporary classical music to be very important for our quartet, and we regularly perform such pieces, but over the years, our repertoire has expanded. At one point, we decided that we wanted to play earlier 20th-century works as well and establish a regular repertoire. It is very interesting and an honor to perform the newest creations, but it is also nice to return to compositions we have already played several times.
It is also noticable that the audience reacts differently to new pieces compared to 20th century music. With new works, it is much more significant that they get to know the new composition – through our performance – whereas with well-known, frequently performed pieces, they are equally more interested in the individual interpretation of our ensemble. At our Budapest concert, we will also be playing pieces by two 20th-century composers: an early composition by Schoenberg and a piece by Erwin Schulhoff. We enjoy playing 20th-century works, and it is very rewarding to be able to expand our repertoire in this way.
– Is it even possible to draw a clear boundary regarding contemporary music with composers from the 20th and 21st centuries?
– This is an interesting question. For example, Arnold Schoenberg is clearly no longer considered a contemporary composer, but his music is quite difficult to listen to; in fact, I think his musical language is harder to understand than that of many later composers. So, I can understand that some people might think of him as contemporary because we tend to associate contemporary with challenging-to-listen-to.
We will also play a piece by contemporary composer György Kurtág at our concert on June 8th, which was composed in the 20th century. It would be difficult to precisely determine how to classify this work. Moreover, the composition by Schoenberg is an early pice of the composer, which is still tonal and has characteristics of the Romantic period of the 19th century, something Schoenberg is not usually associated with. It is difficult to determine clear boundaries, and perhaps not even worth trying. For us, it is more important to perform these great compositions.
– Is there any pressure on string quartet formations due to the long history of the genre?
– Naturally, there is some pressure because the genre has indeed been around for a long time. The repertoire is extensive, and many great string quartets have existed and still exist besides us. Comparisons arise since our aim is to perform at the highest possible level. And with a well-known work, it is natural to wonder whether we can play it as well or better than other ensembles. Probably not, but we still try…
– Is there interest for 20th and 21st century music? Has the audience changed in the 20 years since the ensemble was formed?
– It is difficult to answer this question because many factors are involved. Sometimes, we play at places where contemporary music concerts are regularly held. In such cases, we usually play for an already established audience interested in 20th and 21st-century composers. For example, we recently played in Berlin at a venue where contemporary music concerts are held weekly. There was a lot of interest in our program, and many people attended. Of course, we also have experiences where there is less interest. Our ensemble did not really develop a regular audience, as we have not established our own concert series. The composition of the audience depends more on the venue.
In any case, we are not complaining; we see that there is interest in 20th and 21st-century music both in Austria and abroad – although we cannot expect as large an audience as ensembles playing classical repertoire. It is also good to see that university students are interested in contemporary music: the concerts of composition students at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna are usually well attended.
– How do you relate to the theme of the NewSpirit&Music series and the upcoming concert, which is centered around Light?
– The program was put together with artistic director, Ajtony Csaba. We eventually decided on a program that fits well with the profile of ensemble LUX. We find that the audience of the NewSpirit&Music series is open to the coexistence of contemporary and older music, and the church as a performance space inevitably shapes the reception experience of the audience. So it is in this unified space that works of different ages, characters, and styles will be heard.
The upcoming Light concert of the NewSpirit&Music series will take place on June 8 2024, at 18:30 at the Downtown St. Anne’s Church in Budapest.
