Takács Quartet, Clarice Assad and Julien Labro - Takács Assad Labro (2024)

My friend Clarice Assad called me out of the blue a few months after our album Confessions earned a GRAMMY® nomination. Clarice had written the title tracks on the album, which Laura Strickling sang magnificently. “Bob,” Clarice said, “I have an idea….” I have learned that anytime Clarice has an idea, I’m interested. “I wrote a piece for Takács Quartet and bandoneón virtuoso Julien Labro. It’s a wild piece. The five of them have been performing it all over the world on tour, and I think you would like it. Actually, I know you would like it. Julien also wrote a companion piece, and the third work is by Bryce Dessner. I think you know Bryce; he lives in Paris. What a trio!” I responded that it sounded wonderful. “I want you to record these three works, plus another piece I have in mind for violin and piano. When can we do it?” Hence began one of Yarlung’s most adventurous (and I hope you will agree, successful) collaborations in the label’s nineteen year history.

My first two calls were to Yarlung underwriters Raulee Marcus who has worked with Yarlung on several projects, and executive producer J Schlichting who serves on Yarlung’s board of directors. Raulee and I brainstormed about how we might record this album at the University of Colorado, Takács’ home base in Boulder. Initially that worked best for the Quartet’s schedule. J and his wife Helen agreed to underwrite much of the album and serve as executive producers, as well as commission a new work by Clarice for Takács violinist Harumi Rhodes with Clarice on piano. After a few more phone calls, Harumi asked that we move the recording to Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa where the quartet performs often, and where Yarlung has made so many successful recordings. Aaron Egigian found an opening on April 12th and 13th, 2023 in Samueli Theater at Segerstrom and the excitement started to build. Raulee made calls and did her underwriting consortium magic to encourage other close friends to fund the remaining costs for the project, fly our five musicians to California and even pick them up from the airport. Raulee makes things happen.

Julien’s Meditation No. 1 elicits the intoxicating tango rhythms of South America and Clarice’s Luminous and Cravo e Canela remind us why Brazilian jazz continues to be one of the world’s favorites. Assad’s three-movement Constellation for Harumi Rhodes on violin and Clarice on piano evokes Clarice’s nuclear family and two young daughters.

Takács Quartet: Edward Dusinberre and Harumi Rhodes, violins, András Fejér, cello; Richard O’Neill, viola

This album helps honor and celebrate the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the extraordinary Takács Quartet, formed in the mid 1970s at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest by Gabor Takács-Nagy, Károly Schranz, Gabor Ormai and András Fejér. András remains cellist to this day. He was one of the original music student founders of the quartet, which would become one of the highest-ranked and best-loved string quartets in history. The group received its first international attention in 1977, winning First Prize and the Critics’ Prize at the International String Quartet Competition in Evian, France. The Quartet also won the Gold Medal at the 1978 Portsmouth and Bordeaux Competitions and First Prizes at the Budapest International String Quartet Competition in 1978 and the Bratislava Competition in 1981. The Quartet made its North American debut tour in 1982.

The Takács originally recorded for Hungaroton and later for Decca, for whom they released many recordings including award-winning interpretations of the Bartók and Beethoven String Quartets. The ensemble now records for Hyperion and has released an extraordinary discography including works by Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn, Schubert, Brahms, Coleridge-Taylor, Dvořák, Hough, Dutilleux and Ravel. This release is the Quartet’s first Yarlung album.

-Bob Attiyeh, producer

Tracklist
01. Circles
02. Pendulum: I. Luminous
03. Meditation No. 1
04. Cravo e canela
05. Constellation
06. Nocturne
07. Clash