Beethoven & Henze
The Arisva Quartet has been the resident quartet of the Cologne Classical Ensemble since 2008. Following their concert at the Dortmund Philharmonie, the *Westdeutsche Zeitung* ran the headline: “Arisva Quartet gives world-class ensembles a run for their money”. In 2024, they performed Heinz Pauels’ Second String Quartet for the first time in over 40 years. The Kölner Stadtanzeiger wrote enthusiastically: “The Arisva Quartet performed Pauels’ two Second String Quartets and Alexander Borodin’s, completed in 1881, with a gestural precision and beautiful tone, and with an almost orchestral richness and power.”
As part of our #henze2026 programme, the Arisva Quartet will combine Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 3, Op. 18, with Hans Werner Henze’s String Quartet No. 1 from 1947 – a tonal yet brilliant early work that paints a rather unfamiliar picture of Henze.
Now that our long-standing cellist, Risto Rajakorpi, has taken up the post of principal cellist with the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra in Finland, we are particularly delighted that Roger Morelló Ros will be performing with the Arisva Quartet for the first time in this concert. A native of Catalonia who has made Cologne his home, he has become a fixture amongst the city’s outstanding cellists. In high demand internationally as both a soloist and chamber musician, he has also delighted our audience as a member of 8CELLI.
Line-up:
Alexander Prushinskiy, first violin
Svetlana Shtraub, second violin
Aliaksandr Senazhenski, viola
Roger Morelló Ros, cello
Programme:
Hans Werner Henze (1926–2012)
String Quartet No. 1 (1947)
1. Allegro molto
2. Andantino
3. Lento, ma non troppo
4. Presto
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 18, No. 3
1. Allegro
2. Andante con moto
3. Allegro
4. Presto
