Stradivarius“Paganini Quartet”
1680 Violin“Paganini”
1727 Violin“Paganini”
1731 Viola“Paganini”
1736 Cello“Paganini”

Florian Schötz (1st vn)
Pinchas Adt (2nd vn)
Christoph Vandory (va)
Raphael Paratore (vc)

  Q. Please tell us your impression of the “Paganini Quartet” on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation to you since 2019 and about any discoveries you have made with the instruments.
  A. We absolutely love our instruments! From the day we picked up our Strads in Tokyo to now, every day is a discovery. The possibilities of these instruments seem endless. Of course it always takes some time to get to know an instrument, but I think in our case it really went quite fast. The instruments harmonize so wonderfully with each other that it is a pure joy to play on them. Obviously Niccolò Paganini knew exactly which sound characteristics the single instruments needed to combine them in an ideal way. The instruments have really formed us and have become a part of our quartet sound. The mere thought of having to give them back one day is threatening!

  Q. What is the characteristic of the sound created by the 4 instruments of “Paganini Quartet” as an ensemble?
  A. Each of the four instruments has its own unique character. The brilliance and power of the first violin, the warmth and clarity of the 2nd violin, the tonal beauty and clarity of the viola and the powerful grounding of the cello harmonize perfectly. With these four instruments we can express ourselves in the best possible way, which is a great joy!

(Published in the September 2022 Issue of ONGAKU NO TOMO)


This is a promotion video of "Encounter with Stradivari 2022" concerts which includes the sounds of Paganini Quartet and the interview with the Goldmund Quartet.