Ravel's String Quartet was regularly performed after its premiere, allowing the composer to refine his work with advice from instrumentalists.
In Benjamin Attahir's Al Asr, the four strings are treated as a single instrument, using ornate monody inspired by Middle Eastern music.
The Quatuor Arod aims to make the string quartet sound like an orchestral unit, capable of morphing into a multitude of different soundscapes.
Maurice Ravel's String Quartet was one of his rare works to undergo several distinct publications and successive alterations.
The Quatuor Arod is comprised of young virtuosos, aged 27 to 30, who met at the Paris Conservatoire.
Benjamin Attahir's piece Al Asr was specially commissioned for this album.
The premiere of Ravel's String Quartet in 1904 was likely performed from handwritten parts that have since disappeared.
