Goldmund String Quartet. Photo by Nikolaj Lund
On Friday, February 28, at 7:30 p.m., the Asheville Chamber Music Series (ACMS) presents the Goldmund String Quartet in concert at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville. Considered one of the world’s leading string quartets of the younger generation, the group is on a spring tour of festivals around the world, debuting at many of the most prestigious including the Schubertiade in Austria and the HarzClassixFestival in Germany, and appearing for the first time as part of the ACMS.
“In addition to performing Haydn and Grieg, the quartet is known for innovative programming and will be performing an original transcription of Schubert’s most famous Lied, the Erlkönig,” says ACMS programming chair Polly Feitzinger. “Singers will undoubtedly find it fascinating to see how a string ensemble interprets the dying child, his father and the dreaded Erlkönig, which symbolizes death.”
Based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s poem of the same name, Erlkönig is among Schubert’s most famous works and is considered a technically challenging piece for performance. Most often performed by a single vocalist accompanied by a pianist, the work was arranged for string quartet by Jakob Enko. Characters in the ballad include a narrator, a father, his young son and the supernatural creature in pursuit of the boy. Schubert was 18 years old in 1815 when he composed the piece, and he revised it several times before publishing it in 1821.
Additional concerts in ACMS’s 2024/25 season include the Aspen String Trio on April 4 and the Isidore String Quartet on May 2. In addition, the Aspen String Trio will hold a Masterclass on April 5.
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville is located at 1 Edwin Place. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit AshevilleChamberMusic.org, call 828.575.7427 or email support@ashevillechambermusic.org.
