Quatuor Ebene - ‘Debussy, Faure, Ravel String Quartets’ Review

Posted by Carrie Ann under Album Reveiws, MP3, Quatuor Ebene, String Quartets

One of the albums of 2008 from the young French Quartet

This is a quite beautiful recording. From the uber-cool nu-wave/blue note sleeve, through the opening attack of the Debussy to the quite extraordinary reading of the Ravel, this is something worth indulging in.

The highly lyrical Debussy is played with swagger and purpose, never outstaying its welcome, tearing along decisively to a satisfactory conclusion. The Faure is ridiculously exciting for such a swooning piece of romanticism and the Ravel, the first two movements in particular, delves at times into an atmosphere akin to a late-night jazz club. The impeccable timing and fast-paced changes are also reminiscent of jazz musicians which lends the whole album an invigorating improvisational feel.

The sound is crisp and clear, putting the listener at the heart of the recording, sometimes too close - hear the somewhat disturbing deep breaths 5 minutes into the first movement of the Ravel, but even that adds to the immediate nature of the recording.

MP3 available on Passionato.com for £7.99