Search - Quartetto Italiano, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel :: Debussy & Ravel: String Quartets (Italian Quartet) [IMPORT]

A top choice in these two quartets, with highly personal mus

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 08/17/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pairing Debussy and Ravel in their only string quartets is a cliche by now, and buyers have a wide range of choice. In terms of sheer virtuosity, no one has excelled the Alban Berg Qt., (EMI), who play with seamless technique and gleaming tone. but it all osunds a bit too efficient and impersonal. There's more atmosphere in the version by the Tokyo Qt., among others.



I listened to half a dozen recordings before settling on this one form the Quartetto Italiano. (they were together for so long that you can get a historic mono recording of the smae music on EMI). The Quartetto doesn't try to sound airy, diaphanous, or particularly French. Instead, they give a presonal, uniquely phrased version that sounds as if each player is esponding from deep feelings about the music. That's rare in performances of Debussy and Ravel, where the syle is more or less locked in. the miking is quite close, and although they lack the sheen of the Bertg Qt, the Quartetto Italiano deserves their reputaiton for making beautiful sounds.

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Famous and justly so

jsa | San Diego, CA United States | 05/16/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Julliard Quartet's readings of these famous quartets from the early days of stereo were reference recordings for decades. I owned them on vinyl for more than 30 years & never thought to make a change until the advent of cd, when I opted for the Guarneri Quartet's coupling. I was never really satisfied with the Guarneri's romantically-inclined approach, so a while back I bought the Vlach Quartet's disc, recorded in 1959 & still available on Supraphon. As it turns out, I wasn't very happy with their readings either (just not atmospheric enough) so I went shopping again & decided to purchase this Quartetto Italiano recording which has been around for over 40 years.



From the opening bars, Quartetto Italiano distinguish themselves as eminent interpretors of Debussy. Their phrasing emphasizes the oceanic swell of this music in a completely convincing way - listening to the samples, even though brief, will give you an idea of what I mean. The Ravel quartet also receives an outstanding treatment: atmospheric, rythmically secure & supple.



The sound is quite up front which I find appealing.



Very highly recommended!"

Great recording

Osvaldo Colarusso | Curitiba, Paraná Brazil | 05/30/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Quartets of Debussy and Ravel are the most interesting french quartets.The work of Debussy is one exception in the composer production.Maybe here we have the only german structure this composer folowed.Maybe, the first movement is the only Sonata form we can find in all his production.The second movement is one scherzo, rare in the production of this composer.This quartet,that I love, is a very good work , but is one exception for Debussy.Ravel was more classic, and the F major quartet is more tipical of the composer.

This recording was made in 1965, and it is fantastic.The sonorities are very special, and if I love the way the LaSalle , The Tokio and the Parrenin plays these music, the Quartetto Italiano is by far my favourite."