Quatuor Tana - Shadows (2016) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. Quatuor à cordes No. 2: Crescent Scratches
02. In vivo: I.
03. In vivo: II.
04. In vivo: III.
05. Quatuor à cordes No. 2: Substance
06. Tracés d’Ombres: I. Fantomatique
07. Tracés d’Ombres: II. Extrêmement lent et désolé
08. Tracés d’Ombres: III. Violent, contrasté



„Clearly we owe this first disc of ours – under the name Tana Quartet – to Yann Robin, Franck Bedrossian and Raphaël Cendo”, says Antoine Maisonhaute. “The quartet had only existed professionally for a year when we met Yann and Raphaël at Aix-en-Provence in 2011. At the Aix Festival Academy, each string quartet has to play classical repertoire and work with contemporary composers-in-residence. Yann and Raphaël were in residence in 2011. We discovered an astonishing musical language that we had to come to terms with, patiently. “We were extraordinarily motivated and curious. We were also impatient to delve into a world that was so open to instrumental ingenuity. It was almost as if, paired with each composer, we became a quintet! After the Aix Festival, we decided to catalogue the techniques needed to interpret their music. By pushing our classical techniques beyond their limits, we worked on expanding and extending the quartet’s range of sonic techniques. And, in that way, we forged an identity of our own.

“Our musical approach has been greatly in uenced by Yann and Raphaël, and also by Franck Bedrossian. These were the rst three composers to develop “saturationism”. They have guided us and supported us ever since.

Shadows combines poetry and vitality. “We chose this title as an allusion to the many harmonic shadows vibrating behind each single, clear note”, Antoine Maisonhaute continues. “The way we make each note resonate on the instrument causes the saturation phenomenon. You cannot hear the fundamental note, only its projections. We perform countless notes at breakneck speed – it’s like playing while holding your breath.

“[When music is played] at such a frantic pace, the ear experiences overload, and it sounds as if twenty musicians are playing at once. To perform scores by Yann Robin, Franck Bedrossian and Raphaël Cendo, you have to be t, because the scores are so demanding. And di culty... We have worked extensively with these three composers, and it has been a truly rewarding experience for all parties involved.

“The linguistic subtlety of Tracé d’ombres (2005-2007) is almost classical; it continues in the great string quartet tradition. Franck Bedrossian develops solos rich in color, accompanied very softly by a wide variety of timbres and soft gestures. It’s as if he is stretching an elastic band and only releases it in the last twenty explosive measures of his piece. …

Antoine Maisonhaute, violin
Ivan Lebrun , violin
Maxime Desert, alto
Jeanne Maisonhaute, cello

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