A little story about the Mozart Requiem for 4+4
Sometimes very special connections are formed in the context of artistic productions – when musicians from all over the world come together. It was during Theatre of Voices and Meta4's work on Kaija Saariaho's Only the Sound Remains at the Opéra Garnier in Paris that one such connection had its beginning.
During a rehearsal break, we snuck into the gilded ballroom just behind the stage – and tried out a few movements from Mozart's Requiem. Just us: four voices and a string quartet. Out of curiosity, to see if it could even work.
It was a special moment. A first glimpse of a possible chamber music approach to one of the most frequently performed works in music history. What was particularly exciting was the attempt to uncover the essence of the work – away from the sonic monumentality and grandiose pathos with which we so like to surround Mozart.
Later, during another Saariaho production at the Teatro Real in Madrid, the project began to take shape. A first draft for an arrangement was created, and Atte Kilpeläinen, violist of Meta4, eventually put together a version. And then … came Corona. And with it the postponements, the struggle over cancelled productions, and the effort to bring everyone involved back together at some point.
Now – seven years after the first idea, five years after the originally planned production start – the project is finally becoming a reality.
Sometimes it takes a long breath – and a great deal of perseverance – to bring an artistic vision to life.
Antti Tikkanen, violin • Minna Pensola, violin • Atte Kilpeläinen, viola • Tomas Djupsjöbacka, cello
Their flamboyant style of music-making – standing, swaying, sometimes even stamping – has thrilled me in the past. Now they seem to deploy even more breathtaking levels of technical and interpretive finesse. The Times, Richard Morrison, 11 April 2023
Theatre of Voices
Else Torp Sopran • Anna Caroline Olesen Alt • Paul Bentley-Angell Tenor • Jakob Bloch Jespersen Bass
"The two quartets – Theatre of Voices and Meta4 – deliver something extraordinary. A clear, expressive, brilliant sound. Meticulous care in dynamics and phrasing, both instrumental and vocal. A full house and warm applause."
La Provincia, Giulio Solzi Gaboardi, 1.4.2026
