Quatuor Agate - Brahms: The String Quartets (2024) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

Formed in 2016, the Quatuor Agate derives its name from one of the most beautiful chamber music pieces, Johannes Brahms’s Second Sextet, dedicated to his second love, Agathe von Siebold. Seven years later, this fascination with Brahms materialized with the release of their debut album in February 2024, featuring the complete String Quartets under Appassionato, le label.

Speaking of the rarely-recorded repertoire, the group’s first violinist Adrien explains: “It demands endurance, virtuosity, and presents a real challenge in terms of harmonic construction… and all of that simultaneously! But for us, the most prolonged process was finding our conception of the Brahmsian sound.”

The album will also include Brahms’ Romanze Op.118 No. 5 in F Major, arranged for quartet by first violinist Adrien Jurkovic, which has become a favourite to perform and for which sheet music will be available to download with the purchase of their CD.

The album repertoire is fitting for Quatuor Agate, whose name is derived from Brahms’

Second Sextet dedicated to his second love Agathe von Siebold, which they consider to be one of the most beautiful chamber music pieces ever written.

Quatuor Agate were named in the cohort of ECHO Rising Stars ofthe 2024/25 season which will see them touring Europe's major concert halls, and in their remaining 2023/24 season will travel the world on several tours, most notably to the United Kingdom, Colombia and Hawaii.

The Paris-based ensemble formed in 2016 and consists of members Adrien Jurkovic, Thomas Descamps, Raphaël Pagnon and Simon Iachamet. The group’s first venture was the creation of the CorsiClassic festival, which now takes place every year in Ajaccio in Corsica, the mission of which is to bring chamber music to diverse audiences.

The quartet have become distinguished in various international competitions and festivals for several years (including Best Contemporary Interpretation Prize at the BANFF International String Quartet Competition 2022, Audience Prize at the Steels-Wilsing Competition 2020, and at the Verbier Festival 2019), and achieved a significant milestone in 2021 by winning the prestigious auditions of the Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) in London. They have released an album with American tenor Eric Ferring in Chicago in Autumn 2023 via Delos, and in April 2024 will release another collaborative album with Frank Braley, Gabriel Le Magadure and Concert de Chausson via Appassionato Records.

Tracklist:
CD1
01. String Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 51: I. Allegro
02. String Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 51: II. Romanze (Poco Adagio)
03. String Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 51: III. Allegretto molto moderato e comodo
04. String Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 51: IV. Allegro
05. String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 51: I. Allegro non troppo
06. String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 51: II. Andante
07. String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 51: III. Quasi minuetto, moderato
08. String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 51: IV. Finale (Allegro non assai)

CD2
01. String Quartet No. 3 in B-Flat Major, Op. 67: I. Vivace
02. String Quartet No. 3 in B-Flat Major, Op. 67: II. Andante
03. String Quartet No. 3 in B-Flat Major, Op. 67: III. Agitato (Allegretto non troppo)
04. String Quartet No. 3 in B-Flat Major, Op. 67: IV. Poco Allegretto con Variazioni
05. Romanze No. 5 in F Major, Op. 118


Thanks to the Original customer!