A notable partnership

"I trust their understanding about classical music, their balance and cooperation as an ensemble, and their understanding of Henle's urtext," says Seiffert. "For the general 'ambassadorship' for Henle, Amber Quartet is the first and only representative from China."

The word "urtext" is German meaning an original text, pertaining to musical scores or literary works, intended to reproduce the original intention of the composer as exactly as possible. On Oct 20,1948, diplomat, politician and industrial magnate Gunter Henle (1899-1979) founded his eponymous "publishing house for urtext editions" in Munich, Germany.

An accomplished pianist himself, Henle realized that "there were scarcely any editions that accurately reproduced the composer's musical text". Most editions were marred by unnecessary, and often incorrect, additions from later editors and arrangers. The goal was to reconstruct the correct and authentic text of great compositions.

It soon became apparent that Henle's idea of creating a modern urtext edition was the right decision and one with far-reaching consequences.

"It's an honor to be the Chinese ambassador of such an established company, one which we have admired since we were young students," says Yang Yichen, co-founder and cellist of Amber Quartet.

"The musical texts reflect the composers' ideas and intentions. Henle editions help us to see the music beyond the notes.

"A small change on a musical text can lead to a totally different interpretation, which is why authentic and accurate editions are crucial for delivering the ideas of a composer," Yang says. "For example, notes with a slur tell the musicians to play their instruments without taking any pause in between notes, like singing. Notes without a slur mean the opposite."

This year, as the ambassador, Amber Quartet will regularly share their experiences using the Henle editions on their social media platforms. Since the members of the Amber Quartet are all teachers at the Central Conservatory of Music, they will use the Henle editions in both their teaching and their performances. The company has provided Amber Quartet its complete core repertoire of string quartet music, from the classical to the romantic period.