The Alban Berg quartet exists no more!

Regarded as one of the most famous - and I would say foremost - string quartets, the Alban Berg quartet quit playing after almost forty years. They were constituted as a quartet in 1971.

One of the members - Tomas Kakuska - recently died and the rest of the musicians have found it hard to continue after this.

Some have said that a quartet becomes like a family.

Many musicians say that a string quartet is the most demanding form of playing ensemble music.
It requires both being good musicians as well as good friends.
It's also said - in connection to being an ensemble musician - that before having played together for twenty years, you are regarded as a beginner - a novice.

The Alban Berg-ensemble starts a farewell concert in London this week and they end with a concert in Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires in July.