Acies Quartett - Debussy, Gulda & Puccini: String Quartets (2012)

Tracklist

01. String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10: I. Anime et tres decide
02. String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10: II. Assez vif et bien rythme
03. String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10: III. Andantino doucement expressif
04. String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10: IV. Tres modere
05. String Quartet in F-Sharp Minor: I. Andante appassionato
06. String Quartet in F-Sharp Minor: II. Presto
07. String Quartet in F-Sharp Minor: III. Tranquillo
08. Crisantemi

This Gramola album focuses on three string quartets whose individual stature within the musical canon varies, and whose composers wrote only one work for the medium. From Debussy's sweeping string quartet, which is a cornerstone of the quartet literature, to Friedrich Gulda's often overlooked but vivacious and intricate contribution, these compositions are the product of skilled composers. The album's liner notes, however, seem to push for the notion that they were written by lucky, inexperienced children, even going so far as to rhetorically posit whether or not each of them had even completed puberty. As both Puccini and Debussy were already in their 30s, this seems somewhat absurd. A more likely explanation for why these three composers wrote only one string quartet is the genre's relatively limited fashionability in their respective countries. Regardless, these three quartets are indeed quality works, each deserving admiration quality performance. Enter the Acies Quartett. Founded as a student ensemble only as far back as 2000, Acies is already proving itself to be top notch ensemble capable of delivering heartfelt, musically sophisticated performances. Their ability to produce many different tone colors accentuates their clear understanding of Debussy's score while their solid technique shines in the more rigid Gulda quartet. In spite of the relatively short time that the group has played together, they have already found a unified sound quality that is beautifully balanced. All of these positive traits make this album an excellent introduction to these "one hit wonders" of the quartet genre.

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