String quartets dedicated to Joseph Haydn : K. 421, 458 "Hunt" & 464

"It's as if the Chiaroscuro's performances, nimble, febrile and disturbing, expose the connections rather than the differences - as if Mozart, in his harmonic explorations, is reaching out to the musical world in which, decades later, Mendelssohn would mature ... The group's unadorned sound is a shock to the ears of the best, most arresting kind. The disc offers a fascinating return to well-known works".

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"What is questionable is whether or not the same approach the Prazák uses for Janácek or Schoenberg will produce a convincing recording of the Mozart "Haydn" quartets, and the answer is no. The ensemble's sound throughout this recording is simply too sparse and piercing, particularly in the first violin ... Gone are traces of elegance, gracefulness, or decorum that many listeners will find intrinsic in enjoyable performances of Mozart".

"This performance doesn't attempt to sound gratuitously beautiful, but digs into the tragic substance of the music, and the players aren't afraid to bring flexibility to the pulse, so there's always an urgency of momentum ... The overall concept is fresh and disturbing ... The delightful Intermezzo, also with an allegro interlude, displays the poise which is one of this group's strongest suits".

"Assurément, le Mozart de Ebène ne manque ni d'invention, ni d'énergie, ni de caractère. Mais peut-être encore de grâce, et certainement de naturel. Ils cherchent, ils fouillent le texte: attendons, ils trouveront".

"Ebène Quartet produce playing of great refinement and warmth in the mature works ... The playing itself throughout this well-recorded disc remains something to marvel at".