Webern described ‘Schmerz immer, Blick nachoben’, the second of his Three Pieces for stringquartet, as a response to the appearance of anangel.

Webern’s contemplative miniature for voiceand strings serves in this recital as a bridgebetween two settings of the ancient Salve Reginatext and points to the blissful mood of Schubert’ssix-movement Octet.