The power of clarity: Quatuor Ébène at the Concertgebouw

By Antonio D'Amato, 09 November 2025

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“the rare ability to make perfection sound spontaneous”

Reviewed at Concertgebouw: Recital Hall, Amsterdam on 8 November 2025

Mozart, String Quartet in D minor, K421 (K417b)

Debussy, String Quartet in G minor, Op.10

Brahms, String Quartet in A minor, Op.51 no.2

Quatuor Ébène

Pierre Colombet, Violin

Gabriel Le Magadure, Violin

Marie Chilemme, Viola

Yuya Okamoto, Cello

Echoes of Youth: the Belcea and Ébène Quartets at Carnegie Hall

Edward Sava-Segal, 14th November

A concert of Mendelssohn and Enescu octets which proves that eight can be more than four plus four.

****1

A game of numbers: Belcea Quartet and Quatuor Ébène play octets

Alexander Hall, 28th May

Sometimes you just marvel at the level of musical inspiration and the virtuosic quality of the playing. The two octets by Mendelssohn and Enescu make a very satisfying pairing.

****1

New cellist, same radiating intensity: Quatuor Ébène at Zankel Hall

Edward Sava-Segal, 5th April

A programme consisting of works from three different centuries illustrated the French ensemble's versatility and acumen.

*****

Zinging strings: Janine Jansen leads an all-Stradivarius octet

Mark Pullinger, 19th December

Violin dealers J & A Beare celebrate its 130th anniversary in lavish style by bringing together eight of the Cremona luthier’s exceptional instruments for a concert directed by Dutch violinist, Janine Jansen.

****1

A greatly accomplished performance by the Quatuor Ébène at Zankel Hall

Edward Sava-Segal, 30th March

One would never had guessed that the Ébènes had not played Shostakovich's dark Eighth String Quartet before this tour, such was the way their performance transcended individual agony to address human despair in general.

*****

Quatuor Ébène sends its audience home on a round of good cheer

Alexander Hall, 15th October

The leading French quartet Quatuor Ébène makes a mighty leap from a pre-revolutionary world in 1772 to the turbulence of 1923, only to return to sheltered calm in 1842: works by Haydn, Janáček and Schumann.

****1

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Antonio D'Amato

Antonio D’Amato is an Italian freelance journalist and international music critic based in The Hague, Netherlands. With over 20 years of experience, he specialises in classical music reviews, interviews and press services. He holds a Master’s degree in Economic Journalism. A skilled ghost writer, he was nominated and awarded at the Libreria Piave literary contest in Rome (2014) for best plot. Passionate food blogger and expert in Italian cuisine, he is also an avid collector of historical recordings and vintage high-fidelity audio equipment. He teaches Italian language, sharing his love for culture.