Debussy - String Quartet [Quatuor Ysaye]This is the first time any Debussy has appeared in my Blog! [over 240 days], Debussy hasn't featured in my Journal highlights for a year, the last time was 28th August 2009 [written in my Journal], this seems crazy.
The Quatuor Ysaye was formed in 1984, by four French students from the Paris Conservatoire, though now the lineup has changed since this recording, which was made in 1990 in London.
Of these two String Quartets, the Ravel is the one that i have really fallen in love with, the Debussy is harder to appreciate, and it's only slowly that i've come to understand it after repeated hearings.
The booklet cover pic is nice [by Gerard Rondeau], a drawing room setting, lovely browns, all dressed in suits.
I so much enjoyed the second movement this time, it's a Scherzo, short and sweet, under 4 minutes, lots of pizzicato and fun things, it starts off with loud pizzicato 'strumming' [0:00+], punctuated by viola bowing, and then soft pizzicato [0:05+], this is a lovely effect, loud then soft makes a memorable impression, then the first violin has some very high pizzicato that is loud [0:09-0:39], again very effective and memorable, what a way to start a movement!, now the first violin bows high in its register [0:40-0:50+] while the rest of the strings pizzicato, a new sweet lyrical moment comes from the first violin [0:58-1:33], while the cello has some deep pizzicato rumblings, again the first violin sings high and sweet [2:15+], with soft pizzicato in the background, then comes these waves of bowing from high violin to low cello [2:32-2:40], an episode of all strings playing pizzicato follows [2:41-3:02], right at the end there's these hesitating waves of bowing and plucking [3:23-3:44], a very virtuoso and exciting Scherzo indeed.
Here's Brooklyn Rider playing the second movement on YouTube.
