Enluminures

Now a staple of the repertoire, Debussy's String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10, nonetheless baffled Parisian audiences in it's day. It takes us down the most unexpected harmonic paths, drawing on sounds as diverse as jazz, gamelan and Spanish folk music. Rich in colour and exotic tones, this majestic poetic work frees itself from the traditional musical rules of the West. Balancing between Belgium and France and it's heart turned towards Armenia, the Akhtamar Quartet was immediately won over by this unique work, a real bridge between different cultures and traditions. Just as the relationship between letter and illumination is constantly being revisited, Judith Adler de Oliveira has reworked age-old Armenian themes in a spirit that is sometimes faithful, sometimes at odds with tradition. The initial theme is always audible, and it's anatomy will give the initial impetus to the composition, which moves insensitively, surreptitiously, from one musical language to another. Some of the themes chosen already appear in the Komitas/Aslamazyan Miniatures, thus tracing a gateway to this essential work in the Akhtamar Quartet's repertoire.