0:00 1. Allegro non troppo 14:46 2. Andante moderato 24:50 3. Quasi minuetto 30:30 4. Allegro non assai

These quartets of Brahms are full of harmonic inventivity. We have a very sensitive rendering, avoiding all what can appear heavy in Brahms, and which is in fact due to the interpretation.

How comes, that Quatuor Ebéne doesn't have many CDs published? I never heard Brahms so light and lucid, so full of significant harmonic beauties, which are expressive from their nature and don't need the pretention of shivvering vibrato and dynamics. Quatuor Ebéne proves, that string quartet music is special, because the players have to collaborate in a much more sensible and attentuous way than ensembles of more different instruments (although they should also do so). If the four bowed instruments just play with an approximated more or less chromatic intonation, the result is a kind of pink noise, an acoustic chaos. But if the players understand, that their part in every moment is to provide a module of the charecteristic chord. The term is natural intonation or, more extreme, Just Intonation, in opposite to tempered Intonation. Temperation may be a need for keyboard-Instruments, but strings have more than 12 pitches within one octave, and so they can latch into the resp.harmony. Astonishing for me is, that in this case the single players line is more clear than in conventional performances, where every player is harmonically on his own. The absense of dissonance is not harmony. Quatuor Ebéne makes the music a game of harmonic metamorphosis. Every note completes the jigsaw puzzle of every chord. Tonal music gains its meaning here. Thank you!

This is just so well together! Loving it!!

I love this playing.

Fabulous thoroughly enjoyed listening

They are all great but the first violin is truly special. I never really 'got it' before.

Brahms definitely has his moments.

Superb work.

I have just listened to the Aris quartet play the C minor Brahms so I thought I would feast on a little bit more Brahms. This interpretation is terrific. Rich and satisfying. I am only sorry the Ebéne do not have residency round the corner. Pity Mathieu Herzog left the quartet!!

imo Brahms wrote fewer masterpieces than the other great masters Bach Mozart Beethoven but when he wrote a masterpiece of which there are few they are the equal of anything the masters wrote.

Brilliant viola playing at the start - those triplets are incredibly difficult to make it so clear and smooth, without getting in the way of the first violin line. Although it's funny he does not seem to be so comfortable when he gets the melody line, which you would think would be easier but it does not really sing in this case.

maybe someday we can be equals ie friends.

I'm love the Ebene Quartet but this is not my favorite Brahms -- the first movement, because of its rhythmic complexity, needs a great deal of energy, needs to have a sense of drive. I think the tempo here is a little bit too deliberate and the playing is too cerebral, too fussy. The second movement I think they get wrong as well -- it's a little meditation and they play it too intensely, with too much vibrato, the sound is too lush. Third movement is pretty close to perfect, nice brisk tempo and light playing captures the playfulness. The fourth movement is a bit of a violin concerto and Pierre carries it wonderfully -- and here is the drive and energy that is missing in the first movement.. If you're interested, search for the Dover Quartet performance of this piece recorded at Banff. Two of the best quartets in the world right now with very different approaches to this piece.

Luminosity in Mendelssohn but Brahms seems to elude, rather go for the Jerusalem Quartet.