Sweden’s reputed classical music act, The Stenhammer Quartet, can barely contain its excitement over its maiden visit trip to India and the first show in Hyderabad.
Dressed casually and quick with compliments to city reporters, Peter and Mats Olofsson, Per Oman and Toney Bauer break the stereotype of uptight classical musicians. But on stage, they are the paragons of discipline that their genre is known for.
The highlight of the show will be the composition of Anders Hillborg and his much-acclaimed piece Liquid Marble. “The genesis of the composition is very interesting. It was a work commissioned by the winemakers Kongsgaard. They had created a wine called Arietta and the name was derived from a Beethoven composition,” explains Anders, who got paid in wine. The rest of the group joins him saying, “Of course, wine is better than money!”
Wine is also the argument they use to express disapproval over crossover music. “It’s not like we’ve not done crossovers ourselves,” says Mats. But Hillsburg is quick to add that classical music deserves its sacrosanct space preserved. “You don’t take good wine and mix it with diet Coke, do you?”
