After the Franco-Prussian War and the horrors of the Commune, the Société Nationale de Musique was founded in 1871 with the motto 'Ars Gallica' to promote younger French composers.
Compositional Technique
In the central 'Blues' movement of his Violin Sonata, Ravel expressed his enthusiasm for jazz, aiming for piano chords to sound like plucked metal strings and an implacable rhythm.
Composition History
Unlike older composers like César Franck and Gabriel Fauré, who wrote string quartets much later in life, Debussy and Ravel ventured into this genre around the age of thirty.
Compositional Technique
Ravel's Violin Sonata No. 2 explores the 'basic incompatibility of violin and piano,' creating an uneasy quality in the music.
Performer Biography
The Dante Quartet, founded in 1995, chose its name to reflect the idea of a great and challenging journey, and has won several awards including a Royal Philharmonic Society Award in 2007.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Both Debussy and Ravel valued originality in their compositions; Debussy's motto was 'toujours plus loin' ('ever further'), and Ravel often exclaimed 'personne n'avait fait ça' ('nobody has done that before').
Critical Reception
Debussy's String Quartet had a decisive influence, notably on Ravel, though not all immediate critical responses were enthusiastic, including those from his friend Chausson.
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Ravel: String Quartet
Debussy: String Quartet No. 1 / Ravel: String Quartet in F / Introduction and Allegro
