Artis Quartett Wien

Did you know that the inventor of the pocket score was Ignaz Pleyel (1757-1831)? This Austrian composer, who was at one point Haydn's favourite pupil, left for Paris and as a shrewd businessman opened up a piano factory and his own concert hall in addition to his music publishing business. He also achieved a great deal of success as a composer. However, in the shadow of Beethoven, his music vanished into oblivion. Being of a curious nature, the Artis Quartet have included one of Pleyel's seventy string quartets in their repertoire. Schubert's last quartet attracts our curiosity because it is little known and is definitely the most progressive instrumental work that Schubert ever composed. It goes beyond the conventions of its time in terms of length (50 minutes), range of sound and harmonic daring. This music has an overwhelming dramatic strength, which only the accomplished Artis Quartet can be sure of competently delivering.