19 VASSILENA SERAFIMOVA ∙ QUATUOR ARDEO The work has an Impressionistic hue, with Debussy’s influence clearly perceptible. Its architecture is shaped by a musical cell, a kind of leitmotif based on dance. Though discreet, it runs through the four movements, in which the oriental motifs, here enhanced by the marimba, impart their distinctive fragrance. The instrument’s sound merges seamlessly with the strings. The generous lyricism of the opening Assez animé conveys an impression of free, dance-like writing with sudden rhythmic shifts. The delicate pulse is accentuated in the second movement, Animé (lively) The suppleness of the melodic line is rendered with “an inner rhythm, an organic dimension that allows the phrases to breathe,” as the performers explain. This same alchemy between the instruments reappears in the slow movement, Assez lent, sans traîner (Fairly slow, without dragging). The clarity and elegance of the melody maintain both a gently swaying rhythm and a declamation that is never forced. The finale, Très animé (Very lively) is at once refined, swift, and full of wit. It opens with a series of original pizzicati that merge with a distinctive playing technique, the marimba’s muted tones. There is no irony in this piece, whose joy is meant to radiate. Almost Ravelian, one might say. “The mischievous character is inherent to the marimba’s playing style, which helps us find new timbres so close to the exotic worlds Jean Cras discovered during his distant voyages,” insist the musicians.
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