Joseph-Ermend Bonnal(1880-1944) String Quartets 1-4. String Quartet No. 1(1918) 5-7. String Quartet No. 2(1934) Arion 68504 Recorded 1999 Debussy Quartet TT 54:32 During his lifetime, Joseph-Ermand Bonnal was considered a consummate musical artist esteemed by Henri Sauguet, Paul Dukas, Maurice Ravel, and other French notables. However, upon Bonnal's death, his name and compositions fell off the map as has often happened with so many other fine artists. Bonnal composed liturgical works, organ pieces, symphonies, and chamber works consisting of a Trio and the two String Quartets on this Arion disc. Intimately connected to the folk-music of the Basque country, Bonnal integrated it into his art music in a masterful fashion as was also done by Bartok and Kodaly. The Debussy Quartet is a young French ensemble founded in 1990 which has an exclusive contract to record for the Arion label. Other recordings of theirs include a disc of nineteenth century string quartets and an on-going traversal of the Shostakovich String Quartets. Although there are not recorded alternatives, the group's performances of Bonnal's music sound fully idiomatic and expert. How to describe Bonnal's string quartets? It's probably best to look to the Ravel String Quartet for reference as the architecture and musical flow are quite similar. Although not as inventive as Ravel, Bonnal's music still impresses with its floating and liquid rhythms. The reasons for Bonnal's neglect, even from the French, are hard to understand; perhaps his provincial preferences simply were not acceptable to the French musical elite. Bonnal's 1st String Quartet, in four movements, was composed just after the conclusion of the First World War. The 1st Movement, "Vif", has that liquid flow and lyricism so prevalent in the Ravel String Quartet; I initially thought I had put on the wrong disc. The density of the music is quite strong and likely a result of Bonnal's concentration on organ composition. There is some dissonance, but it is mild and not frequent. Variety of color and expert counterpoint are also basic ingredients of the 1st Movement. The 2nd Movement is designated "Assez vif, apre et sarcastique" which translates into "lively, fierce, and sarcastic". It's a very accurate description of the movement as the first section is rustic, driven, and urgent music having the capacity to excite the senses; it reminds me some of the typical Shostakovich race to the finish line. The second section is heart-felt and tender with a wonderfully lyrical and haunting melody line. After a highly effective transition, the first section returns in all its glory. Overall, this is an exceptional movement offering a wide range of emotional breadth. I'm not fully taken in by the 3rd Movement Grave et expressif. Possessed of a solemn nature, I feel that Bonnal does not offer much contrast. Also, the music's sentimentality becomes a bit much at times. Ultimately, I can't help but think that Bonnal's musical arguments don't accomodate the 10 minute span of the movement. There is one gorgeous musical theme in the movement, but it gets short shrift from Bonnal. The last movement is a highly animated affair which begins with the strings ushering in a burst of frenzied activity. Subsequently, snatches of the 1st Movement reappear, and the music takes on the Ravelian liquid flow. The 2nd String Quartet was composed in 1934 and features a 1st Movement of two highly contrasted themes. It begins with a slow Grave which opens up into a more demonstrative and swirling set of declarations. Personally, I feel that Bonnal doesn't offer sufficient thematic development to make a significant impression. The slow movement incorporates Gregorian chant with a folk-type song. It's excellent music that is a little short of displaying great inspiration. The final movement is an exuberant piece with offsetting passages of poignancy. Don's Conclusions: Other reviews I have read tend to give the reader the opinion that this Arion disc of Bonnal string quartets is an essential acquisition for anyone enamored of the Ravel and Debussy string quartets. I am not as upbeat about Bonnal's music. He's very similar to Ravel, but not quite a masterful composer. Ravel's inventiveness and architectural sweep surpass what Bonnal can offer; I think that's clear through comparative listening. Is Bonnal essential? Absolutely not, but I can heartily recommend the Arion disc for its fine music and performances; just don't expect to be astounded. If you end up hungry for more Bonnal, there is a Pavane disc of Bonnal's organ music for your investigation. In conclusion, obscure music which sees the light of day often gets raves from reviewers upon first blush. That's understandable, but we need to keep matters in perspective. Ravel and Debussy are among the elite of early twentieth century classical music; Bonnal is a worthy composer but a step or two below greatness. Stronger advocacy of his music is certainly called for, but I doubt that Bonnal will ever be planted on the hollow ground reserved for Ravel. As for myself, only the 2nd Movement of the 1918 String Quartet will get much playing time in future months. In sporting terms, Bonnal makes the play-offs but doesn't advance to the quarter-final matches. Don Satz [log in to unmask]