"It always takes adrenaline": In conversation with up-and-coming musician Martha Mitreuter

At the weekend, young local artists also perform at the Ickinger Frühling Festival.

We spoke to Martha Mitreuter (19) about "Quartessenz".

Ms. Mitreuter, does the label “up-and-coming musicians” bother you?

Martha Mitreuter: To be

honest: no.

The four of us are all very young, between 17 and 19 years old.

And of course we have less experience and playing practice than musicians who have been in the classical music business for decades.

So I can live quite well with "up-and-coming musicians".

And that's never meant in a derogatory way.

The name "Quartessenz" is a nice play on words...

Mitreuter:

Do you want me to tell you something?

Many do not understand this at all.

At that time we simply took quintessence and then made quartessence out of it.

In addition, it can also be interpreted as the musical essence of a quartet.

As you want.

Also read: This is the program of the Icking Spring

On Sunday in Icking they will play Carl Orff's quartet movement in B minor and the string quartet op 44.2 in E minor by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.

Who selects the pieces in your ensemble?

This is "Quarter Essence"

The string quartet "Quartessenz" was founded in 2016 in preparation for the "Jugend musiziert" competition.

At that time, all four musicians were members of the Puchheim Youth Chamber Orchestra conducted by Peter Michielsen.

They made it to the national competition in Paderborn, where they came in second.

In 2020, the ensemble again took part in "Jugend musiziert" and achieved the highest number of points in the regional competition.

In 2021, "Quartessenz" performed, among other things, in the cultural autumn of the city of Geretsried.

In March of this year, the four musicians were awarded the title “Very Good” in the “Professional” category at the International String Quartet Competition “Zukunftsklang Award” in Stuttgart.

Mitreuter

: These are all group decisions that are determined by various factors: what did we like to play recently, what would we like to try?

And besides, there shouldn't just be the usual suspects from the classic catalogue, but, as is now the case with Orff, there should also be something more willing to experiment.

Ultimately, however, it is important: Which pieces do we all enjoy.

"Quartessenz" plays on a high level.

How long or how often do you practice a day?

Mitreuter

: Four hours on average, sometimes more.

Every once in a while I let it slide.

I usually play with Laura, Alina and Jeremias more often the closer a performance gets.

Otherwise, there is a lot of art in juggling four people with their appointments.

How should we imagine the joint rehearsals?

Is there someone else who advises them, hears mistakes, makes suggestions?

Mitreuter

: When we rehearse alone, we often record it and then listen to it.

This is a good way to find mistakes together.

Sometimes there are people we have known for a long time, such as Pinchas Adt from the "Goldmund Quartet" or our former teacher Peter Michielsen, who advise us.

This outside view is definitely valuable, a kind of coaching if you will.

Beyond the music you do sports.

Among other things, you started with the Japanese martial art Bujinkan a few months ago.

To what extent does a good physical condition also help with music?

You can read the latest news from Icking here.

Mitreuter

: Above all, fitness means that I can concentrate well when playing.

When I'm on stage, I stay completely focused, then I hardly notice anyone.

In addition, sport is also a good balance to an admittedly unhealthy because unnatural posture when playing the violin - a kind of physiotherapeutic prophylaxis.

And, of course, it's a lot of fun.

Icking is something of a home game for you.

Is the tension particularly great when the whole family is sitting in the hall?

Mitreuter:

It always takes a bit of stage fright and adrenaline.

That helps to focus.

But when I start playing, that's over.

Of course, I think it's really nice that my parents and siblings are coming to the concert.

Basically, it's more comfortable for me to play in front of a completely unfamiliar audience.

The most difficult thing for me is appearing in front of people who only know you briefly: I always have the feeling that they are particularly critical.

Info

The concert of "Quartessenz" will take place next Sunday, April 24th, as part of the 7th International String Quartet Festival of Klangwelt Klassik in Icking.

It starts at 2 p.m. in the Rainer-Maria Rilke-Gymnasium.

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