RAVEL / DEBUSSY / FAURÉ

String Quartets

 

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

String Quartet in G minor, Op.10

1) i. Animé et très décidé

2) ii. Assez vif et bien rythmé

3) iii. Andantino, doucement expressif

4) iv. Très modéré – Très mouvementé

 

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)

String Quartet in E minor, Op.121

5) i. Allegro moderato

6) ii. Andante

7) iii. Allegro

 

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

String Quartet in F major

8) i. Allegro moderato – Très doux

9) ii. Assez vif – Très rythmé

10) iii. Très lent

11) iv. Vif et agité

 

Quatuor Ébène:

Pierre Colombet, Gabriel Le Magadure - violins, Mathieu Herzog - viola, Raphaël Merlin - cello

 

“Interpreters of rare understanding and communicative flair”

- The Strad

 

“The players of the Quatuor Ebène  give the lie to any claims that characteristic French individualism is at odds with the existence of great quartets. Cohesion, balance, commitment ... are words that recur in descriptions of the talent of these young artists, who are open to such a diverse repertoire.”

- Zurban

 

“The Quatuor Ebène Quartet is an ensemble in the proper sense of the term, uniting in an exemplary way all the qualities and requirements of a string quartet ...”

- Süddeutsche Zeitung

 

When the Quatuor Ebène was signed to Virgin Classics in early 2008. Alain Lanceron, the label’s President, said: “The Quatuor Ebène is the embodiment of the modern string quartet. The extraordinary way its members craft their sonority, their re-examination of quartet masterpieces, their readiness to engage with music beyond the traditional repertoire, their innovative and creative approach: all these factors have led us to invite them to add their lustre to Virgin Classics' roster of artists. We welcome them with enthusiasm – the same kind of enthusiasm they bring to everything they do."

 

Formed in France in 1999, the Quatuor Ebène took its name from ebony, the precious and exotic wood used in instrument-making. The award-winning ensemble has since achieved an enviable international reputation for refined, dynamic musicianship, minutely responsive teamwork, an adventurous spirit and even a taste for improvisation. The Quartet’s repertoire ranges from Haydn and Mozart, cornerstones of the Classical repertoire, through the 19th and 20th centuries to contemporary composers and jazz.

 

The Quatuor Ebène’s debut recording on Virgin Classics brings together the string quartets of the three emblematic French composers of the late 19th and early 20tb centuries: Fauré, Debussy and Ravel. The Debussy and Ravel quartets represent a traditional pairing in the catalogue, but they have rarely been coupled with the Fauré, his final work, composed in his late seventies. As it happens, Ravel dedicated his own quartet to Fauré, who was his teacher.

 

Virgin Classics 5190452