Ligeti & Bartók: String Quartets Marmen Quartet

• György Ligeti (1923 - 2006): String Quartet No. 1 "Métamorphoses nocturnes":
• 1 Ligeti: String Quartet No. 1 "Métamorphoses nocturnes": I. Allegro grazioso 01:32
• 2 Ligeti: String Quartet No. 1 "Métamorphoses nocturnes": II. Vivace, capriccioso 01:53
• 3 Ligeti: String Quartet No. 1 "Métamorphoses nocturnes": III. Adagio, mesto 02:14
• 4 Ligeti: String Quartet No. 1 "Métamorphoses nocturnes": IV. Presto 02:38
• 5 Ligeti: String Quartet No. 1 "Métamorphoses nocturnes": V. Andante tranquillo 03:16
• 6 Ligeti: String Quartet No. 1 "Métamorphoses nocturnes": VI. Tempo di Valse, moderato, con eleganza, un poco capriccioso 02:20
• 7 Ligeti: String Quartet No. 1 "Métamorphoses nocturnes": VII. Allegretto, un poco gioviale 02:44
• 8 Ligeti: String Quartet No. 1 "Métamorphoses nocturnes": VIII. Prestissimo 04:25
• Béla Bartók (1881 - 1945): String Quartet No. 4:
• 9 Bartók: String Quartet No. 4: I. Allegro 06:28
• 10 Bartók: String Quartet No. 4: II. Prestissimo, con sordino 02:50
• 11 Bartók: String Quartet No. 4: III. Non troppo lento 06:06
• 12 Bartók: String Quartet No. 4: IV. Allegretto pizzicato 02:53
• 13 Bartók: String Quartet No. 4: V. Allegro molto 05:50
• György Ligeti: String Quartet No. 2:
• 14 Ligeti: String Quartet No. 2: I. Allegro nervoso 05:30
• 15 Ligeti: String Quartet No. 2: II. Sostenuto, molto calmo 05:16
• 16 Ligeti: String Quartet No. 2: III. Come un meccanismo di precisione 03:29
• 17 Ligeti: String Quartet No. 2: IV. Presto furioso, brutale, tumultuoso 02:14
• 18 Ligeti: String Quartet No. 2: V. Allegro con delicatezza - stets sehr mild 05:51
• Total Runtime 01:07:29

Info for Ligeti & Bartók: String Quartets

For it's first recording for BIS Records, the Marmen Quartet tackles three major works from the twentieth-century string quartet literature. The two quartets by Gyorgy Ligeti belong to two different periods in the composer's output. Written before Ligeti left Hungary and emigrated to the West, the First, subtitled 'Metamorphoses nocturnes', represents the peak of his 'Hungarian' period. Regarded as a virtuoso exercise, the work reveals the influences of Bela Bartok, particularly from his Third and Fourth Quartets. Ligeti's Second Quartet belongs to his second period, particularly rich in significant works. Considered by the composer as a response to the works of his illustrious predecessors such as Mozart, Beethoven, Bartok and Berg, the Second Quartet, with it's calculated anarchy, dynamic extremes and sublime climaxes, is not only one of Ligeti's masterpieces but also a true classic of modernism.Bela Bartok's Fourth Quartet, which had a particularly strong influence on Ligeti, is widely seen as one of his most radical; it requires high levels of technical accomplishment from the performers, yet reveals a deep understanding of the instruments, and draws an unprecedented range of colour and character from them.

Marmen Quartet:
Johannes Marmen, violin
Laia Valentin Braun, violin
Bryony Gibson-Cornish, viola
Sinéad O’Halloran, violoncello

Marmen Quartet
They come from four different countries and cultures: but what unites Johannes, Laia, Bryony and Sinéad are the musical conversations and stories they present to the audience.

This fantastical world of string quartet music emerges from a constant musical dialogue that is able to create a deep and meaningful connection through trust, respect and joy. It is this personal touch, this musical honesty, coupled with freedom and the courage to take risks, that creates this unique moment with the audience in concert.

With the courage, vitality and intensity of its performances, the Marmen Quartet is fast establishing itself as one of the most impressive and engaging talents in chamber music, demonstrated by recent first prizes at the prestigious Bordeaux and Banff International String Quartet Competitions.

The quartet brings its energy and intelligence to an impressive range of repertoire, ranging from Haydn to music of today. Last season they gave the world premiere of Garth Knox’s Secret Letters, written for them as a companion piece to Janáček’s Intimate Letters. Previous commissions have included Salina Fisher’s Heal, composed for them in the wake of the pandemic, and they made their Australian debut in 2023, playing a work written for them by Hannah Kendall as part of the Australian National Academy of Music’s Quartetthaus project. They are currently working on a new project with composer Samuel Adams and percussionist DOMNIQ.

Their recording schedule for BIS also demonstrates their wide-ranging musical appetite. Their debut recording (released in January 2025) features works by Ligeti and Bartók, with future recordings including Debussy, Ravel and Takemitsu; Haydn quartets and Chausson’s Concert and Franck’s Piano Quintet with violinist Johan Dalene and pianist Can Çakmur.

The quartet has played in the UK’s most prestigious halls and festivals, including Wigmore Hall and BBC Proms, and its reputation is spreading quickly across Europe, with performances including at Berlin Philharmonie, Boulez Saal, Frankfurt Alte Oper, Stockholm Konserthuset, Palladium Malmö and Muziekgebouw Eindhoven, as well as festival appearances at Lockenhaus, Mecklenburg Vorpommern, Rheingau, Heidelberg and Zeister Musiekdagen music festivals, as well as the Amsterdam, Barcelona and Gulbenkian Foundation string quartet festivals. Recent North American highlights have included performances in Calgary, Kelowna, Victoria and Capital Region Classical and the group recently completed its Peak Fellowship Ensemble-in-Residence at Meadows School of the Arts, Southern Methodist University, in partnership with the Banff International String Quartet Competition.

The quartet formed at the Royal College of Music in 2013, and has returned there as Quartet in Association, giving regular coaching to chamber music groups, playing in side-by-side projects, and mentoring young quartets through the RCM String Quartet Platform. They held a Guildhall School of Music String Quartet Fellowship (2018–20) and studied at the Hochschule für Musik in Hannover with Oliver Wille, as well as in London with Simon Rowland-Jones and John Myerscough (Doric Quartet). They were mentored by the late Peter Cropper and have received support from the Musicians Company/Concordia Foundation, Hattori Foundation, Help Musicians and Royal Philharmonic Society. The Marmen Quartet is an official Pirastro Artist.

Booklet for Ligeti & Bartók: String Quartets