Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 'Death and the Maiden' Quatuor Debussy

• Franz Schubert (1797-1828): String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor Death and the Maiden, D. 810
• 1I. Allegro11:58
• 2II. Andante con moto14:58
• 3III. Scherzo - Allegro molto - Trio03:49
• 4IV. Presto09:58
• Total Runtime40:43

Info for Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 'Death and the Maiden'

Evidence aims to be international, with recordings not only by some of the greatest virtuosos, but also by up-and-coming young talents, who will be free to explore many repertoires and different musical genres. The Debussy Quatuor (Christophe Collette, first violin - Marc Vieillefon, second violin - Vincent Deprecq, alto - Fabrice Bihan, cello) has more than 20 years of experience. They have won the First Prize of Evian international string quatuors competition in 1993, a French “Victoire de la Musique” in 1996 (best chamber music formation).

They perform in Japan, US, Russia… and have an international recognition. They play one of the pillars of the chamber music repertoire: The String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, known as Death and the Maiden, by Franz Schubert. Composed in 1824, after the composer suffered through a serious illness and realized that he was dying, it is Schubert's testament to death. The quartet is named for the theme of the second movement, which Schubert took from a song he wrote in 1817 of the same title; but the theme of death is palpable in all four movements of the quartet.

Winners of the Evian International String Quartet Competition, the Debussy Quartet performs about 80 concerts a year in Europe, Asia, and North America. They are regular guests at distinguished concert halls (Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, Grand Théâtre in Geneva, Konzerthaus in Berlin, Théâtre du Châtelet, Musée du Louvre in Paris) and are also heard at many of Europe’s finest festivals.

The Debussy Quartet:
Christophe Collette, violin
Marc Vieillefon, violin
Vincent Deprecq, viola
Fabrice Bihan, cello

The Debussy Quartet
Through its passionate commitment to speak in a unique voice, eschewing the creation of an international quartet sound, the Debussy Quartet has established its reputation as one of the finest quartets touring and recording today. Formed in 1990 by a group of young musicians studying at the Conservatoire de Lyon, France, the quartet has gained international renown for its exciting performances and award-winning recordings. In major concert halls from New York to Tokyo they perform a wide range of works, and are perhaps most well known for their devotion to the French repertoire. The quartet’s performances of the Ravel, Debussy and Fauré quartets are legendary, and these four musicians continue to create new audiences for works of their countrymen such as Lalo, Lekeu, Milhaud and the late romantic composer Ermand Bonnal.

Winners of the Evian International String Quartet Competition, the Debussy Quartet performs about 80 concerts a year in Europe, Asia, and North America. They are regular guests at distinguished concert halls (Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Auditorio Nacional de Musica in Madrid, Grand Theatre in Geneva, Konzerthaus in Berlin, Théâtre du Châtelet, Musée du Louvre in Paris) and are also heard at many of Europe’s finest festivals.

In addition to mixed chamber music with renowned colleagues, the quartet has embarked on an adventurous collaboration with the famed modern dance ensemble, Compagnie Käfig (choreographer Mourad Merzouki), for a new project in which they are incorporated as choreographed elements while performing on their respective instruments in concert with the dancers.

The Debussy Quartet’s extensive discography includes the acclaimed Decca label release of the landmark Mozart Requiem recording, in the 1802 transcription by Peter Lichtenthal (about which a documentary film has also been made). The Arion label produced several volumes in the “French Music” collection (Bonnal, Ravel, Fauré, Witkowski, Lekeu) and the complete Shostakovich Quartets, among other works. The quartet’s mixed chamber music repertoire includes its highly regarded CD of the Brahms and Weber clarinet quintets with clarinetist Jean Francois Verdier and a highly acclaimed collaboration with the pianist François Chaplin in several Mozart piano concertos. In addition, their discography includes the complete works of Webern for string quartet (for Harmonia Mundi), which received the coveted « Choc » award of Le Monde de la Musique.

The Debussy Quartet is based in Lyon, France. Its members are the founders of “Les Cordes en Ballade” a chamber music festival and an academy of chamber music in the South of France, where they perform and teach each summer.

Booklet for Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 'Death and the Maiden'