Enluminures Akhtamar Quartet

• Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918): Quatuor à cordes en sol mineur, Op. 10, L. 85:
• 1 Debussy: Quatuor à cordes en sol mineur, Op. 10, L. 85: I. Animé et très décidé 06:27
• 2 Debussy: Quatuor à cordes en sol mineur, Op. 10, L. 85: II. Assez vif et bien rythmé 03:51
• 3 Debussy: Quatuor à cordes en sol mineur, Op. 10, L. 85: III. Andantino, doucement expressif 07:00
• 4 Debussy: Quatuor à cordes en sol mineur, Op. 10, L. 85: IV. Très modéré - Très mouvementé 07:06
• Judith Adler de Oliveira: Enluminures:
• 5 Oliveira: Enluminures: Dle Yaman 02:58
• 6 Oliveira: Enluminures: Eri Eri Jan 01:47
• 7 Oliveira: Enluminures: Al Aylughs 02:54
• 8 Oliveira: Enluminures: Grounk 03:29
• 9 Oliveira: Enluminures: Gakavik 01:56
• 10 Oliveira: Enluminures: Yel, Yel 03:17
• Total Runtime 40:45

Info for Enluminures

Debussy’s string quartet op. 10 was considered perturbing at the time on the Parisian music scene and has since become an absolute staple of quartet repertoire. It sweeps us along the most unexpected harmonic pathways and takes inspiration from sound-worlds as diverse as jazz, gamelan ensembles and Spanish folk music. Rich in colour and exotic tonalities, this poetic masterpiece frees itself from traditional Western customs and stands as a unique bridge between different cultures. It was the famous Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaye’s string quartet who commissioned the work. They later defended it from the many accusations of “too modern”. With Opus 10’s ties to Belgium, France and Armenia, The Akhtamar quartet immediately related to it and placed the piece at the heart of their repertoire. The Akhtamar quartet chose its name in reference to both the ancient Armenian myth and the Komitas Miniatures arranged by Aslamazyan, which they have played with passion since their formation.

In all areas of art, ancient works are visited by contemporary artists and adapted or transformed to speak to today’s world. Judith Adler de Oliviera has taken secular, Armenian themes and expressed them through music in a variety of ways. At times, she “narrates” these themes in a direct manner and at others, we have a faint sense of the original material as her innovative approach draws us away from tradition. As some of the same themes figure in the Miniatures by Komitas/Aslmazyan, a pathway is created between Oliviera’s work and the music which lies at the heart of Akhtamar’s repertoire.

Akhtamar Quartet

Akhtamar
an Armenian legend. The name of the quartet is a reference to the Armenian Miniatures by Komitas/Aslamazyan, which the ensemble has performed with passion since its foundation.

Founded in Brussels in 2014 by Franco-Belgian artists, the Akhtamar Quartet quickly establishes a constant and rich connection with European string quartet centers (Brussels, Paris, Lyon, Vienna, Milan and Yerevan).

The ensemble is one of the six quartets selected for the “Tremplins Jeunes Quatuors” of Paris’ Philharmonie in 2016 and in the same year won the second prize at the Musiq’3 festival in Belgium. In 2021, the quartet won third prize in the International Johannes Brahms Competition.

The Akhtamar Quartet performs in Europe’s most prestigious festivals and concert halls: Festival Radio France Montpellier, Concertgebouw Brugge (BE), Festival MonteLeón (ES)… as well as in Brazil, the United States and China.

The quartet’s first two albums were released in 2020 and 2023 by Cypres Records. Regularly broadcast on major national radios (Musiq’3, France Musique and SWR2 in Germany), Légende Arménienne was awarded four stars by the prestigious Classica and BBC Music Magazine, and was one of five nominees in the Classical Music category at the Octaves de la Musique 2021 (Belgium), while Enluminures was applauded for an interpretation of Debussy’s String Quartet “that has never been heard in such effortless, self-evident conciseness” (Fono Forum – DE).

The Akhtamar Quartet is highly committed to working with contemporary composers. Several composers such asJudith Adler de Oliveira, Roger Boutry, Eugénie Alécian, Ward De Jonghe and Jelena Dabic have asked the ensemble to perform and record their works.

To share its high quality classical repertoire with a wide audience, the ensemble has created several original shows, programmed in a diverse range of venues (psychiatric institutions, schools, hospitals, etc.). The ensemble’s performances have also won awards: The Dream Makers, a show for young audiences, and Freestyle Classics (a creation combining hip-hop dance and string quartet) were prizewinners at the YAM Awards in 2021 and 2023 respectively.

This enthusiasm has led to a number of humanitarian projects, which have received considerable support: Music 4 Armenia, a tour of twenty free concerts in Armenia after the war in autumn 2020; Harmonies of Dreams, a concert series for patients in psychiatritc hospitals in Belgium created in collaboration with healthcare professionals; and Music 4 Lebanon in September 2022.

The Akhtamar Quartet is supported by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Wallonie-Bruxelles International, the Centre National de la Musique, Le Dimore del Quartetto, the Boghossian Foundation, the Spedidam and Merita.

Booklet for Enluminures