Ravel's second movement, Assez vif-Tres rythme, is a scherzo of outstanding
quality.  It is so concise with each note having importance.  The movement
has pizzicati, trills, syncopation, and plucked strings to die for.  And
a few motifs harken back to the first movement's initial and second theme.
The first theme of the second movement introduces the plucked strings in a
strong yet airy manner; momentum is great and there is a sense of incipient
danger.  The music is then taken over by the theme's lyrical episode which
is sweet, lovely, and needs strong projection from the first violin.  The
second theme is slow, sad, and tender with a hint of bleakness.  In its
middle, a gorgeous waltz-like episode gives way to the return of the
beginning of the theme which now becomes more agitated and evokes danger.
To take us back to the first theme, Ravel uses a plucking and pizzicato
transition which starts low on the register and moves up in stunning
fashion; this is a fantastic transition.  The ending of the movement is
thrilling, as danger becomes reality; the last note could wake up the dead.
I do want to emphasize that I am not attempting to indicate that Ravel
wanted or intended for listeners to feel any sensations of danger from his
second movement.  That is just the sensation that *I* get from the music.

I found three versions (Ad Libitum, Alban Berg, Rosamonde) excellent.
The Ad Libitum Quartet is superb in the first theme with perfect tempo and
strong projection except that the projection of the first violin is too
soft in the lyrical episode.  Their second theme is played wonderfully with
a highlighting of its bleakness; the waltz is outstanding as well.  Their
transition back to the first theme is absolutely sinister in character as
we are informed that disruption is near.  I wish the ending had that fully
thrilling quality, but it's a little lacking.  Overall, not a perfect
performance, but it's mighty close and possesses some magical moments.

The same applies to the Alban Berg reading.  Their projection in the
lyrical episode of the first theme is the best of the four versions, the
second theme is the best as well with its great tenderness, and the ending
is excellent.  Where they fall a little short is in the first theme's
momentum which is not as strong as the Ad Libitum's, and in the transition
back to the first theme which is not sinister enough to really impact me.

The Rosamonde Quartet is warm and very lyrical.  They deliver a great
second theme exuding sadness, and their transition is every bit as good
As the Ad Libitum's.  I did find them too restrained in the first theme
and no better than the Ad Libitum in the ending.  However, on balance,
the performance stands tall next to the other two.

With the Orpheus Quartet, we are back on terra firma.  I kept writing
"good" as I listened, but good isn't enough.  Then a strange thing
happened; all of a sudden, with not many seconds remaining on the track,
they really wake up and provide the best and most thrilling ending of the
four versions.  Go figure.

The Alban Berg Quartet, best in the first movement, retains that position
in the second, but shares it with the Ad Libitum and Rosamonde Quartets.
As before, the Orpheus Quartet is not fully competitive, but that ending
is something else.  I'd like to bottle it.

Although Ravel's third movement, Tres Lent, slows things down, there is
no decrease in the inventiveness or impact of his music.  In fact, I feel
there is more inventiveness in the third movement than the previous two.
The movement opens with an atmosphere of elusiveness and mystery which
is then taken over by an icy-cold trembling chill which remains when the
mystery returns.  All of a sudden, the music opens it wings and glides into
a haven of contentment and serenity.  But, a mocking string note episode
accompanied by a fairly strong foundation temporarily puts an end to any
concept of haven.  What I love about this mocking episode is that it
essentially returns four additional times in the movement, each one
different in register, foundation, and even a little different in mood.
The fifth episode is the best with the foundation now sounding a *little*
like a Bill Pirkle buzz-saw.  Is it music? You bet it is, and among the
most outstanding musical passages in the quartet.  The cello provides a
commanding and intensely dark presence in the middle of the movement, and
the ending is gently swaying and goes out with a whimper.  Concerning
cyclical matters, a viola serenade plays the initial melody from the
first movement.

The Alban Berg Quartet performance is quite different from the others in
three major respects.  First, it is a romanticized reading highlighted by
the big-boned playing of the first violin.  I don't like this style, and it
also doesn't mesh with my sense of Ravel's idiom.  Second, the performance
seems to be surface-bound with a resulting loss of impact, at least on
this listener.  The sound is the third problem.  Its brightness, which is
advantageous in the earlier movements, does not well serve the darkness
and stark nature of most of the third movement's music.  The three other
versions all have an excellent soundstage, particularly the Rosamonde and
Ad Libitum recordings.

The Orpheus Quartet is outstanding in the first four minutes or so, but
goes downhill after that.  In the hands of the Orpheus, the strong and
dark presence of the cello sounds understated, and the remainder of the
performance follows suit.  It's as if the group isn't fully aware that
the movement needs over eight minutes of intensity.

The Ad Libitum and Rosamonde Quartets share the honors in the third
movement.  The Ad Libitum are particularly effective with the music's
mystery and darkness; The Rosamonde perform the mocking episodes superbly
and the cello and cellist are outstanding.  Most important, these two
groups do not just deliver a series of musical episodes; there is a natural
flow to the music-making which makes each successive passage a logical
response to the previous one.

I think Ravel's last movement is an excellent musical representation of
schizophrenia.  The first theme is frenetic, frantic, and terrifying; the
second is lyrical, gorgeous, and rather laid-back.  The two themes, with
increased frequency, go back and forth; it must be hell to suffer from
schizophrenia.

The Alban Berg liner notes state that the first theme "goes like the wind".
The group is true to this premise, having the fastest speed of the four
versions.  They do it wonderfully and with great excitement.  The second
theme is performed well, but the Alban Berg do not catch all the beauty of
the music.

The Rosamonde Quartet reverses the virutes of the Alban Berg last movement.
Their second theme is very tender and lyrical; the first theme just can't
match the Alban Berg for excitement or terror.  The Orpheus Quartet is
enjoyable but not superb at any point.  I like the Ad Libitum Quartet's
performance the most; it's emotionally rich and the only version excellent
throughout the movement, the best I've ever heard.

After spending much time with the Ravel String Quartet, I greatly admire
its compact writing and precision; it's so packed with great themes and
episodes which never outstay their welcome.  At the end of each movement,
I always wanted more.  I found the musical connections among the movements
to be interesting but not high on my list for loving this string quartet
so much.

The Alban Berg, Ad Libitum, and Rosamonde Quartets have much to offer,
although the Alban Berg's third movement possessed serious problems.  I
can't recommend the Orpheus Quartet's reading; it isn't close to the other
three.

Ultimately, my choice is the Ad Libitum Quartet.  They are superb in
the last three movements and have some great music-making in the first.
There are times when I would have liked stronger projection from the first
violin, but there are also many times when that subdued approach pays major
rewards with a hushed atmosphere.  Best version - lowest price - sounds
like a good deal to consummate.

Don Satz
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