Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Octet in E-flat, MWV R20 (Op. 20) (1825)
George Enescu (1881-1955)
Octet in C, Op. 7 (1900)
Quatuor Ébène & Belcea Quartet
rec. 2025, Schloss Elmau, Germany
Erato 5021732997296 [72]

Is there a more effervescent, life-enhancing piece of chamber music than the Mendelssohn Octet? It’s an astonishing achievement for a sixteen-year-old composer. In a fascinating piece of programming, the Mendelssohn is here coupled with another equally precocious composition, the Octet by George Enescu, who was all of nineteen years old when he completed that work. Both pieces in their different ways pose formidable challenges for the players and you might think that performing just one of them in concert would be sufficient unto the day. However, the booklet notes are by Rafaël Merling, for twenty-five years the cellist of the Quatuor Ébène until he retired in 2024 to focus on conducting; he comments that he has played both works together in concert “several times”. From what he says, it would seem that on those occasions the order of the pieces was as they appear on this CD; that would seem logical to me.

Before considering each work separately, I think I should make one general overall comment. I don’t know how often before making these recordings these two renowned quartets joined forces to play these works in concert. It must be jolly difficult to synchronise the schedules of two busy quartets, though I see that they performed both of them together in May 2024 at London’s Wigmore Hall and, a while after the recordings were made, they played them – on separate programmes – in Paris in January 2026. I mention this simply because the present performances, made under studio conditions, sound wholly ‘run in’.

The Mendelssohn, in which Quatuor Ébène play as Quartet 1, receives a marvellous, sparkling performance. The opening movement is substantial – here it plays for 14:52 – but like that other inspired composition of Mendelssohn’s teenage years, the Midsummer Night’s Dream overture (1826) it never remotely outstays its welcome. Here, the music is ideally paced and expertly shaded. The eight musicians seem to play as one – as they do throughout the programme – and there’s ample give and take. This joyful music is played with admirable spirit and lightness. The following Andante is graceful and affectionate; I enjoyed the performance very much. As for the Scherzo, the music scampers along. The marking is Allegro legierissimo and the players have clearly taken the second of those two words to heart; the playing has point-of-a-needle lightness. This performance made me smile. The Presto finale has infectious drive – yet never sounds driven. There’s a terrific energy in the performance. Mendelssohn’s youthful exuberance – dare one say impetuosity – is given its full due, yet you feel that the music-making is always controlled. This is a most refreshing account of Mendelssohn’s Octet; I enjoyed it from first note to last.   

Enescu’s Octet is an even more substantial composition than the Mendelssohn; here it plays for 39:24 whereas the Mendelssohn performance takes 32:14. In this performance the two quartets reverse roles; now it’s the turn of the Belceas to play as Quartet 1.

Though it’s also the product of a teenage imagination, the Enescu is, I think, more serious in tone than is the case with the Mendelssohn work. In part that’s to do with the respective harmonic languages and also Enescu’s often sinuous themes. It’s also the case that his textures are much fuller than is the case with Mendelssohn – Rafaël Merling actually uses the term “rather dense” – though I think these musicians achieve commendable clarity. That’s all to state the obvious, though. I think that in addition there’s more darkness and drama expressed in Enescu’s music. I wasn’t surprised to learn from the notes that the first performance was delayed until two established quartets could be brought together to play it in 1910; nor was it a surprise that the premiere required a conductor – the composer himself.

The large-scale first movement has a serious countenance. The textures are indeed complex – the individual lines frequently intertwine – but such is the skill of the players and the engineers that you can comfortably hear what’s going on. The musical discourse is wide-ranging and is projected strongly in this performance. The second movement has the unusual marking Très fougueux (very fiery or passionate). From the outset it’s evident that the musicians intend to observe that instruction to the letter, though there are moments of relative relaxation. It’s a very intense movement and you could say that this is young man’s music (whatever that might mean) but in fact it’s a formidable achievement, both emotionally and musically, for a teenager. After so much fiery music it’s almost a surprise when Enescu ends the movement quietly, as if all the energy has been spent. In fact, that quiet ending is ideal given the hush in which the third movement (Lentement) opens. The first few minutes are spellbinding in this performance; the players ensure that the music doesn’t raise its voice and it’s as if the thematic material is being cushioned on a soft harmonic bed. Eventually, the music becomes more overtly ardent; hereabouts the first violin (Corina Belcea) has rapturously poetic lines to sing and Ms Belcea’s playing is ravishing. Enescu is extremely clever in the way he causes the slow movement to elide seamlessly into the finale. This is a quick, skittering waltz, though it’s not a smooth, graceful waltz; on the contrary, the music is vigorous and full of energy. The combined quartets project this music strongly. In the words of Rafaël Merling, Enescu concludes the movement with “an authentic song for eternity, a long, lyrical, tempestuous river”. He states that here “we can detect the undeniable influence of Fauré”. To be honest, I don’t quite hear the Fauré influence but I bow to his much more detailed and inside knowledge of the music.

This CD gives us the opportunity to hear two highly contrasting Octets. The music may be poles apart – and the contrast is as welcome as it is stimulating – but one thing that undeniably binds the programme together is the superb performances of each work. These are two of the finest string quartets currently before the public and their coming together here is an irresistible combination.

The music has been recorded expertly by Fabrice Planchat. Rafaël Merling’s notes are interesting, if rather fulsome.

John Quinn

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Performers

Quatuor Ébène
Pierre Colombet & Gabriel Le Magadure (violins)
Marie Chilemme (viola)
Yuya Okamoto (cello)

Belcea Quartet
Corina Belcea & Suyeon Kang (violins)
Krzyszkof Chorzelski (viola)
Antoine Lederlin (cello)