Twilight Notes: Debussy String Quartet

String quartets by three legendary composers will feature in Twilight Notes: Debussy String Quartet, at Concert Hall, QPAC, Tuesday, September 19.

When it comes to string quartets, there are none finer than the Lyon-based Debussy String Quartet who are also the founders of 'Les Cordes en Ballade' - a chamber music festival and an academy of chamber music in the South of France, where they perform and teach every summer. It's this close working relationship that makes them as much a family as a talented ensemble.

While there won't be any works by Debussy himself, his contemporary, Ravel, will have his magical String Quartet in F given the Debussy Quartet treatment. (They hold it as one of their most beloved works to perform.) That great quartet composer, Beethoven, is also represented with his String Quartet No.11 in F Minor Op. 95, the 'Serioso'. Known for its dark, disturbed qualities, it's sure to be a highlight. There's also Shostakovich's grief-stricken Elegy and String Quartet No. 7 in F sharp minor Op. 108. 

It's a stirring program guaranteed to thrill and delight, with The Australian saying of a concert, "It's breathtaking, it is beautiful, it is epic. An astounding experience." While The Guardian (U.K.) said, "...Their intelligence and musicality was extraordinarily moving. Shostakovich would have thrilled to every second." 

The Debussy String Quartet's recordings include the acclaimed Decca label release of the Mozart Requiem, and their new album of Marc Mellit's quartets, which was recorded in France in the company of the composer. They have to be seen in person to be appreciated for their exquisite musicianship.

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By Vicki Englund