The quartets by Debussy and Ravel are as much about color as they are about style, technical precision, and the awesomely intricate details of phrasing. The catalog is full of every important (and not-so-important) ensemble's attempt to realize these elements in the most musically sensible and satisfying way they know. The New Zealand Quartet proves here that it knows a lot--a lot more in fact than most quartets about how to make these oft-played and oft-underestimated repertoire standards sound fresh and original. For one thing, these players manage to penetrate popular notions of impressionist "style" and just pay attention to the music. This means that they take seriously performance indications such as "Animé et très décidé" and "Assez vif et bien rythmé"; it also means that they don't impose any artificial interpretive "effects" in the phrasing or dynamics. The result is some of the most intense and emotionally involving Debussy and Ravel on disc, highlighted by beautiful slow, lyrical sections (the "Andantino" ending of the Debussy; the "Très lent" of the Ravel), and some hair-raising, electrifying moments, especially during the last movement and final bars of the Debussy.

Rolf Gjelsten's confident and lovely, earth-toned cello firmly anchors the ensemble, which also benefits from Helene Pohl's fearless, facile, and accurate first violin, and inner voices (violinist Douglas Bielman and violist Gillian Ansell) that are technically equal and completely compatible musically. In music this difficult and with textures so exposed, imperfections are easier to notice than in some more densely scored or less challenging quartets--especially with such a transparent recording as this one. Happily, there isn't much to comment on in this regard, except for one tentative, or at least unconvincing, moment near the end of the Ravel first movement--a peak violin note against a low, shifting cello harmony.

A comparison of this recording with the Emerson Quartet's fine reading on Deutsche Grammophon shows tempos for the New Zealand in both quartets are generally slower than the Emerson's, and the Emerson takes a less assertive approach that dwells slightly more on coloristic effects. But I have to say that the New Zealanders' performances are more alive and immediate and just as well--in some cases better--played. I'm convinced that this result has much to do with the NZSQ's unique performing style: they play standing with the cellist seated on a special platform, giving a tremendous freedom and energy to the music's natural movement. All is enhanced by engineering that offers a close, intimate, but never intimidating sound. We hear everything in the music and yet the balance holds true throughout, and so does the naturalness of the string timbres, even at high volume. This is an excellent first choice or worthy alternate to your current favorite version. (This disc, from New Zealand-based Atoll, currently is distributed in the U.S. by JEM Music Corp., New York.)

--David Vernier