Hough, Dutilleux & Ravel: String Quartets

by Takacs String Quartet

Overview

It may seem a surprise to see the String Quartet No. 1 of Stephen Hough on the program of this release by the Takacs Quartet; Hough is better known as a pianist and as a composer better known for piano works, and the other two works on the album are French, but in fact, the choice works beautifully. Hough's quartet is subtitled "Les six rencontres" ("The Six Meetings"), which refers not only to its six sharply profiled movements but also to the group of 1920s French composers called Les Six. They are evoked in the music, and fans of the period can have a lot of fun tracing the individual references, but what impresses generally is that Hough's piece can stand with the work of the bigger names here, Henri Dutilleux and Maurice Ravel. Dutilleux's Ainsi la nuit, also in six movements, may be the highlight here, merging the French tradition with Webernian rigor in lots of difficult pizzicato writing. The Takacs Quartet excels in these passages, delivering a vast dynamic range from edgy fortes to near silence. The Ravel String Quartet in F major is also very strong, with a gorgeous noctural slow movement that connects elegantly to the Dutilleux. Hyperion adds to the delights with excellent sound from Colorado's Lone Tree Arts Center on a release that rightfully hit classical best-seller charts in early 2023. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	01/06/2023
Label:	HYPERION
UPC:	0034571284002

Tracks

1. String Quartet No. 1 'Les Six rencontres'~Au boulevard
2. String Quartet No. 1 'Les Six rencontres'~Au parc
3. String Quartet No. 1 'Les Six rencontres'~¿¿ l'h¿¿tel
4. String Quartet No. 1 'Les Six rencontres'~Au th¿¿¿¿tre
5. String Quartet No. 1 'Les Six rencontres'~¿¿ l'¿¿glise
6. String Quartet No. 1 'Les Six rencontres'~Au march¿¿
7. Ainsi la nuit~Libre et souple - Nocturne
8. Ainsi la nuit~Parenth¿¿se I - Miroir d'espace
9. Ainsi la nuit~Parenth¿¿se II - Litanies
10. Ainsi la nuit~Pareenth¿¿se III - Litanies II
11. Ainsi la nuit~Pareenth¿¿se IV - Constellations - Nocturne II
12. Ainsi la nuit~Temps suspendu
13. String Quartet in F major~Allegro moderato, tr¿¿s doux
14. String Quartet in F major~Assez vif, tr¿¿s rythm¿¿
15. String Quartet in F major~Tr¿¿s lent
16. String Quartet in F major~Vif et agit¿¿

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Takacs String Quartet   Primary Artist,String Quartet

Technical Credits

Jeanne Velonis   Post Production Assistant
Nigel Simeone   Liner Notes
Paul Klee   Cover Illustration
Viola Scheffel   Liner Note Translation
Henri Dutilleux   Composer
Judith Sherman   Recording Producer
Maurice Ravel   Composer
Stephen Hough   Composer
Thierry Martinot   Photography
Marie-Stella Paris   Liner Note Translation
Todd Harris   Booklet Editor
Simon Perry   Executive Producer
Mike Quam   Engineer
Jiyang Chen   Photography
Amanda Tipton   Photography