On the occasion of the concert at the Berlin Philharmonie, which featured György Ligeti’s first quartet, “Métamorphoses nocturnes,” Nanette Schmidt recalls the quartet’s work with the composer:

A sunny morning in February 1995. We ring the doorbell of György Ligeti’s house on Möwenstraße in Hamburg. At first, nothing happens. Then the master opens the door – in his pajamas, his hair tousled, and his eyes deeply shaded. Apparently, he has forgotten our appointment. But he doesn’t let on and greets us warmly.

We unpack our instruments among stacks of sheet music and books that rise to the ceiling everywhere in the small apartment. Ligeti asks if we mind him having breakfast while he listens. He sits down at the table in front of us, the score of his second string quartet in front of him, and begins to eat his muesli. Which doesn’t stop him from listening very closely: After we’ve finished playing, he begins to work intensively with us.

Two hours pass in the blink of an eye, during which we delve deeply into the details of the work. Two hours in which it’s all about pushing the limits: glassy sounds, lightning-fast tempos, almost inaudible pianissimo, intense fortissimo… At the end, a warm farewell.

Unforgettable, this morning in Ligeti’s apartment!