[DSD][OF] Ragazze Quartet - Haydn, Schubert, Widman - Vivere - 2014 (Classical)

Ragazze Quartet
The Ragazze Quartet is a young, Dutch string quartet, remarkable for its musical enthusiasm, talent, versatility and presentation. Its versatility in particular is unusual within the world of chamber music. The quartet collaborates with and performs alongside composers, other musicians – classical orotherwise – and artists working in a variety of disciplines. In such projects the Ragazze Quartet always operates from its classical music core, while attempting to attain the ultimate crossover.
The different disciplines are approached entirely equally, but in so doing they complement andelevate one another. The quartet followed the two-year full-time curriculum of the Dutch String Quartet Academy (NSKA). There the members attended masterclasses directed by leading musicians from theinternational string quartet world, as well as lessons from their regular teachers Stefan Metz and Marc Danel. After completing the academy course, the quartet was coached for a year by Luc MarieAguera, violinist in the Quatuor Ysaye; this was made possible by the Dutch Kersjes Foundation. In October 2007 the Ragazze Quartet toured Nepal, where, besides giving concerts, they metlocal musicians and shared musical ideas. Immediately after this tour, the Ragazze played in ‘TheDebut’, a concert series in all major Dutch concert halls. In March 2010 the quartet was invited to the Kronos Quartet workshop in New York City.
After an intense week the Ragazze performed several pieces from the Kronos repertoire in Carnegie Hall. The Ragazze Quartet performs regularly at chamber music venues throughout Holland (suchas the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Vredenburg Utrecht and Philipszaal the Hague) and abroad (including Paris, Prague, Geneva, Ljubljana and Rio de Janeiro). In 2012 the Ragazze Quartet signed a contract to record three CDs with the renowned Channel Classics label. The instruments played by Geneviève and Jeanita are kindly lent by the National MusicInstruments Foundation. In Haydn’s ‘Fifths’ quartet four classical bows made by Andreas Grutterwere used.

This is ‘Vivere’. Not exactly a cheerful disc – all three compositions refer in various ways todeath. This is reflected in the key (D minor is the key of death), in the opposite number of the Maiden, and finally even literally, in the fact that cellist Geneviève ‘dies’ before the end of thealbum. For us, however, to record this dramatic repertoire is to offer an ode to life. ‘Vivere’– for by listening to this sombre music one realises how wonderful life can be. Performed by the Ragazze Quartet, four young women in the midst of life.
Reviews:
Audiophile Audition
The Ragazze Quartet plays with energy and conviction. (…) Both the Haydn and Schubert are very well-played. The Widmann is an interesting curiosity, and some will find it the best tracks on the disc (…)
De Volkskrant
(…) musically, the Ragazze (‘girls’) tackle things decisively (…) they have guts (…) Haydn playfully kisses the Ragazze to life. (…)
All Things Strings
Ragazze completely transform Haydn’s Op.76, No.2, and Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden”.They play the rests, they play the expressive markings with unusual fidelity, and they find new breath in themes that are too often rushed or merely stormed through. In Widmann, they are ferocious.
Opus Klassiek
(…) Renowned ensembles have immortalized these pages countless times, so what do these girls actually want? They want them to be right. And they get it. Not by flawlessly smoothed playing, but by music hunger. (…) You understand, this is a moving, provocative, excellently played, excellently recorded CD. Let that Ragazze run.
Het Parool
The results are impressive. (…) they play it beautifully light and radiant. (…)
Trouw 4 out of 5
Four girls and a lot of musical energy! (…) Striking: the equality of the strings…. color and dynamics are developed democratically, with well-presented middle voices.