This year's edition bears the subtitle "The Courage to Discover." In the program, you focus on both the legacy of Pavel Bořkovec and composers linked to the Terezín legacy. What is the greatest "discovery" in this year's program for you personally?
For us, E. W. Korngold's String Sextet is almost a revelation. We are all encountering this work for the first time, and it is a truly enriching meeting. PBQ and such late-Romantic repertoire haven't crossed paths many times, and we are delighted to be able to immerse ourselves in this florid music. We are also happy that our colleagues and friends, Pavel Ciprys and Matyáš Keller, accepted our invitation. It is always refreshing to expand our established foursome with new possibilities for musical dialogues.
Bearing the name of Pavel Bořkovec is both a commitment and a mission. How has your relationship with his work evolved over the years, and how do you try to make his music accessible to contemporary listeners?
Over the years we have dedicated to his music, we have gained a certain confidence. we recorded Bořkovec's complete quartet works for Czech Radio. We try to promote his music at most of our concerts. The hesitation to present his work, which had somewhat unfortunately faded from the audience's awareness, has long since disappeared. It is music that is—at least at first listen—quite demanding, but immensely deep, fierce, and eloquent. Sometimes we offer it in the context of the pedagogical lineage Dvořák–Suk–Bořkovec, and we receive feedback from the audience that Bořkovec is a surprising discovery and the highlight of the concert, even in the company of his predecessors. We are truly proud to carry his name on our shield.
The music of composers who created in the most difficult life conditions carries a huge charge of resilience. As performers, how do you manage to convey this emotion of "hope" to the audience without the evening feeling merely like a commemoration?
Music created in these conditions carries one great message. Let us remember that these works were created at times when it was uncertain what tomorrow would bring, let alone whether your music would ever see the light of day. Therefore, they arose from a single impulse—from the irrefutable necessity to create, to record on manuscript paper something that cannot be expressed elsewhere or otherwise. I am not saying that music cannot be created this way during times of abundance and peace. But with the "Terezín composers," for example, it is certain that their works from this period contain pure music that lacks any motive of self-promotion or self-interest and, on the contrary, overflows with creativity and hope for the future.
If you had to choose one moment or one movement from the repertoire for April 12th that most defines "eternal hope," what would it be?
I apologize, I cannot choose just one movement. Perhaps the final movement of Burian's quartet with its citation of a theme that relates strongly to contemporary social issues. Or the Adagio from Korngold's Sextet, where we encounter explicitly Mahlerian himmlische scenes. Or perhaps the fourth movement of Ravel's quartet, in which we place eternal hope that we won't be intimidated even by a five-eight time signature at a breakneck tempo?
Uhelný mlýn in Libčice is a space with a strong industrial genius loci. How much are you looking forward to the connection between your interpretation and this raw, modern space? Does the architecture of the hall influence how you perceive the acoustics and the energy of the pieces?
We are eagerly curious about the spaces of Uhelný mlýn. To some extent, we always "struggle" with the acoustic character of a specific space. But generally, our instruments prefer places that bring their own resonance to our music and actually participate in the performance. Incidentally, because of the architecture and genius loci, we also recorded Pavel Bořkovec's 5th String Quartet in the First Republic-era Winternitz Villa.
The Eternal Hope Festival often chooses unconventional venues. What makes it more interesting for you as a quartet to play in a "non-concert" environment compared to traditional halls like the Rudolfinum?
Precisely for their uniqueness and the specific features these spaces offer. They can also often provide a completely new context and an added dimension to the entire musical dramaturgy. Even as an audience member, I like to experience site-specific concerts and performances, and even if these places do not always provide ideal acoustic conditions, the added value of the genius loci elevates the experience to a completely different level.
Your quartet is known for its energy and precision. What would you use to entice someone who may have never been to a string quartet concert before but is attracted by a visit to Uhelný mlýn?
I would definitely emphasize the opportunity to hear both a string quartet and a string sextet in one evening. Also, we cannot guarantee that Uhelný mlýn won't need a visit from a structural engineer and further renovation after our performance, so it's high time to visit. The concert takes place on Sunday evening, which invites a "cultural excursion." What should listeners carry in their minds on the train journey from Libčice back home? In their minds, hope and faith in the goodness of humanity; in their pockets, perhaps our CD.
