Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838)
Quintette à cordes en do majeur, op. 37
Quatuor à cordes en la mineur, op. 150 n° 1

Raquel Massades, alto
Quatuor Schuppanzigh

Anton Steck, violon
Katja Grüttner, violon
Christian Goosses, alto
Werner Matzke, violoncelle

Après des décennies de relatif oubli, le compositeur Ferdinand Ries, qui fut élève, secrétaire et ami de Beethoven, est maintenant bien représenté dans la discographie récente : le label CPO avait déjà fait paraître (entre autres) une belle intégrale de ses symphonies. Le quatrième volume des quatuors à cordes (longtemps attendu), ne décevra ni les admirateurs de Ries, ni les chanceux qui vont le découvrir ! Car si notre compositeur a longtemps été relégué comme un pâle copie de Beethoven, l’originalité de son propre langage romantique est désormais bien établie. Combinée à un vrai savoir-faire et un sens aigu de la mélodie comme des structures classiques, elle lui a permis de produire ces merveilleux quatuors. On a même la joie de commencer par un Quintette à cordes, dédié au violoniste Schuppanzigh (dont les interprètes ont choisi le nom pour leur formation). C’est une pièce époustouflante de vie, qui requiert une grande virtuosité de la part du premier violon, qui séduit et captive dès les premières mesures, et dont la richesse de composition assure qu’il continuera à plaire (le scherzo, entremêlant différents rythmes, est remarquable). Le quatuor en la mineur qui l’accompagne, bien que sans doute plus proche du langage de Beethoven, est également de toute beauté (l’Andante est sublime) et ne dépare pas le disque. (Walter Appel)

The fourth installment of our Ferdinand Ries Edition with the Schuppanzigh Quartet presents two selected works that underscore the composer's great importance! Throughout his life, Ries, a student of Beethoven, was preoccupied with the composition of string quartets and quintets. The C major String Quintet op. 37 was composed in 1809 and dedicated to the violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh, who had made a name for himself in Vienna as the primarius of the "Schuppanzigh Quartet" which he had founded. In Ries's quintet, what is special and new about the opening of the movement is that the theme itself, introduced at the beginning, first leads to the home key, rather than beginning or standing stably in it. It is also striking that the opening theme is not introduced by one instrument alone. Rather, it is a theme in dialogue form between cello and first violin, with repetitive filler voices in the middle. Similar to this quintet, the String Quartet Op. 150, N. 1 is distinguished by interesting and comparatively unusual features. Although the first movement opens quickly and restlessly in straight 4/4 time, after only four measures Ries contrasts the mood with a brief, "searching" or "questioning" Andantino in 6/8 time. The specialist press wrote in 1827: "I will tell you little of this excellent artist, you must hear him for yourself and admire his latest creations. [...] Whoever is familiar with Ries compositions and has recognized what is peculiar in them, will also be attracted by these compositions and will have a rare pleasure. His compositions all have a noble, grand character, they are solid; only rarely does he lose himself in petty painting, uninteresting executions, playing and dallying, as we are accustomed to with the great Beethoven, of whom he is often reminiscent, even though he borrows nothing from him. Ries goes his own way."