Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
String Quartet in F (1902-03)
Introduction & Allegro for string quartet, flute, clarinet & harp (1905)
Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)
String Quartet in E minor Op. 121 (1923-24)
Quartetto Noûs
Soloists of the Teatro alla Scala, Milan
rec. 2023, BartokStudio, Benareggio, Monza e Brianza, Italy
Brilliant Classics 97746 [65]

The Ravel string quartet is almost invariably paired with Debussy’s for the purposes of recording, so it makes a refreshing change to find Fauré’s here, as it is still somewhat rarer both in performance and in the discography. The quartets come from the opposite ends of the composers’ respective creative outputs, Ravel’s being a youthful masterpiece and Fauré’s not only his first and only string quartet, but also his very last composition, begun in 1923, when he was already in poor health and virtually deaf; he completed it just weeks before his death. As a result, they make an interesting contrast: Ravel’s is lyrical, rhapsodic and splashily colourful, heralding a brilliant career, Fauré’s unsurprisingly serene, spare, and introspective, acting as a last testament.

I praised the Tinalley’s account of the Ravel quartet in the usual pairing with Debussy’s on Decca and indeed it was designated as a Record of the Month in May 2019 (review). The Quartetto Noûs is rather more relaxed and leisurely than the Tinalley by a couple of minutes overall, especially in the slow movement – which is quite a lot in such a relatively short work as this of around half an hour; they are given to lingering more languorously over transitions. However, that extra indulgence is counteracted by one besetting flaw in this recording which concerns its engineering. On first playing, I was immediately taken aback by its harsh, edgy sound – and direct comparison with the mellow Decca recording confirmed my perception. This is most unusual in these days of expert digital recording and I am at a loss to explain it – but there it is. In fact, regardless of sonic issues, I in any case prefer the Tinalley’s more propulsive interpretative approach; they are also more attentive to dynamic gradations and variety of tonal colour. As a result of all these factors, the Tinalley’s rendering of the central Trės lent third movement comes across as much warmer and more soulful despite being faster by a minute and a half; for me, the Quartetto Noûs lingers too long and the movement loses shape and cohesion. By contrast, the fiery finale is splendidly attacked and its manic intensity sustained throughout.

The Introduction & Allegro constitutes a pleasing oasis of calm between the two quartets; its fluttering, perfumed playfulness alternating with slinky, sultry themes, is redolent of Ravel’s bigger, better known orchestral works, especially those which are Spanish-influenced. The string quartet is here supplemented by three soloists from La Scala and the playing is most elegant.

There is a pervasively yearning, melancholy quality to the Fauré which often reminds me of Richard Strauss in nostalgic, reflective mood, as in, say, Metamorphosen or the Capriccio string sextet. It is feelingly played here, even if the tinny, whistling edge to the sound of the first violin perturbs my ear. Although it is not as overtly rhapsodic as the Ravel, there are passages, such as the conclusion to the Andante, where a certain passion builds compellingly and the quartet executes it con amore. The Allegro, with its intermittent but persistent pizzicato underlay is weirdly unsettling despite its superficially lyrical burden and again, the quartet maintains the kind of tension which for me is missing in parts of the Ravel.

The booklet contains a full and helpful note by Alberto Franchin and is attractively packaged, reproducing Monet’s Cliff Walk at Pourville. For those linguistically minded like me, as the notes helpfully inform us, “noûs”, once more often found in parlance among the classically trained, “is a Greek word whose meaning is ‘mind’ and thence ‘rationality’ but also ‘inspiration’ and ‘creativity’”.

I don’t want to exaggerate my misgivings as this is still perfectly listenable and if neither the slight roughness of the sound nor the pace of delivery of the Ravel bothers you, you might want to own this pairing, especially as it is a rarer coupling and the Fauré is convincingly delivered.

Ralph Moore

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