Quatuor Diotima will premiere Marc Monnet’s eighth string quartet in Abbaye de Noirlac on July 19. Marc Monnet explains how he thought about this new piece in the context of the location of its world premiere.

“At this time, is it adventurous to write a quartet? Yes, it is. This form, full of history, is out of place by its modernity. In a place as historical as the Abbaye de Noirlac, to imagine letting four instruments ‘sound’ in the ‘house of God’ is a stimulating challenge: Should this quartet be marked by the serenity and austerity inspired by this place? Should it be the resonance of these vaults?

The “draw-down” of the common world always appealed to me as fascinating. There’s something deeply spiritual in me, although I am an atheist. Such a place speaks to me. I’m feeling immediately at home. The Cistercian’s symbolism – pure lines, reduced material consumption, simple master plan – is an ‘economy of thought’, which can be applied to music. This is the path chosen by Bernard de Clairvaux. He represents the way from the sensual to spiritual. This quartet will perhaps follow that path, but in any case be influenced by that. Though the music is intangible, it is supported by this outstanding architecture.”