Belcea Quartet - Debussy, Ravel, Dutilleux: String Quartets (2005)

The Belcea Quartet is one of the strongest of the relatively new chamber ensembles coming before the public today. Just a glance at the catalogue and the spectrum of music they tackle is impressive - Brahms, Schubert, Britten, Ades, Faure, Poulenc and now Ravel, Debussy and Dutilleux. They are an exciting ensemble.
The performances here of both the well-known string quartets of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel are clean, free of excessive emoting, and transparent in the best sense of the word. The phrasing continuity among the instruments is seamless and in the tutti sections the sound is sonorous and never pushed. These are both very fine performances.
Added to this generous CD is the 'Ainsi la nuit' by Henri Dutilleux, a work not known to this listener but one that begs re-hearing. The quartet writing is clever, innovative and never less than interesting. It does seem to go on a bit long (twelve movements) but it is well worth studying. Recommended Recording.