PENTATONE
Gramophone Editor’s Choice

Lachenmann: Works for String Quartet

ModernDark, contemplative, dramatic, virtuosic

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Details

Composer
Helmut Lachenmann
Artist
Quatuor Diotima
Format
CD
Discs
1
Label
PENTATONE
Released
Jan 30, 2026
Catalog #
PTC5187223
UPC
8717306262231

About

Quatuor Diotima presents Lachenmann: String Quartets, a powerful testament to their 25-year collaboration with visionary composer Helmut Lachenmann. Known for pioneering "instrumental musique concrete," Lachenmann redefined the sonic possibilities of the string quartet. Their first meeting in 1998, originally just a one-week workshop, sparked a deep artistic bond and a shared fascination with his radical approach to sound and listening. This album is the result of hundreds of hours spent in rehearsal, performance, and conversation - a tribute to a composer who has become a central figure in contemporary music. Lachenmann: String Quartets captures not only the evolution of a musical language, but also the story of a transformative and enduring partnership. The quartet returns to PENTATONE following their acclaimed releases Metamorphosis Ligeti (2023), Bruckner & Klose: String Quartets (2024), and Boulez: Livre pour Quatuor (2025).

Critic reviews

  • “To the small but mighty catalogue interpreting these formidable works, Quatuor Diotima turn in a offering of distinctly balletic grace not to mention an appropriately timed gift for Lachenmann’s 90th birthday this past October.”

    Gramophone, Editor’s choice, December 2025

  • “…[an] authoritative and fascinating disc… Quatuor Diotima have worked on this music with the composer for 25 years, and their performances have tremendous authority and confidence, drawing you into their strange and compelling world.”

    The Guardian, 5 stars, November 2025