R. MURRAY SCHAFER R. Murray Schafer String Quartets 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 Quatuor Molinari | Molinari Quartet Olga Ranzenhofer, first violin; Frédéric Bednarz, second violin; Frédéric Lambert, viola Pierre-Alain Bouvrette, cello ACD2 2672 • R. Murray Schafer's quartets have featured prominently in the repertoire of the Molinari Quartet since its establishment in 1997.   On numerous occasions the Molinari Quartet has played several quartets by Schafer in the same concert, sometimes even performing a marathon of the first seven quartets in a single evening.   Played this way, as if each individual quartet was actually a single movement of a very long mega quartet, the cyclic form of the overall work becomes eloquently clear. • With this new disc of quartets 8 through 12, the listener can also experience this cyclic form; many relationships, both in material and in expression, link these works.   Nonetheless, each is unique and stands alone and these quartets can be appreciated one at a time. • Internationally acclaimed by the public and the critics since its foundation in 1997, the Molinari Quartet has established a mandate to perform works from the 20th and 21st centuries, repertoire for string quartet, and to commission new works.   Recipients of 14 Opus Prizes awarded by the Quebec Music Council, the Molinari Quartet is described by the critics as “Canada's answer to the Kronos or Arditti Quartet.” R. Murray Schafer (b. 1933) CD 1   1. Quatuor à cordes n° 9 | String Quartet no. 9 (2005)*     23:31       [* voix d'enfents préenregistrée | prerecorded children voices ]       Odile Portugais* voix d'enfent | child's voice   2. Quatuor à cordes n° 10 | String Quartet no. 10 Winter Birds (2005)     17:27       [R.M. Schafer narrateur | narrator]       Quatuor à cordes n° 11 | String Quartet no. 11 (2006)     24:19   3.   I.     4:04   4.  II.     3:31   5. III.     4:52   6. IV.     5:35   7.  V.**     6:17       [** harp éolienne préenregistrée | prerecorded aeolian harp] CD 2   1. Quatuor à cordes n° 12 | String Quartet no. 12 (2012)     16:32       Quatuor à cordes n° 8 | String Quartet no. 8 (2000-2001)   2. Fast; capricious     9:53   3. Very rhapsodic     12:31       [ Déjà paru | Previously released in 2003: ACD2 2201 ]       Olga Ranzenhofer, first violin - Johannes Jansonius, second violin       David Quinn, viola - Julie Trudeau, cello ATMA Classique is distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading PO Box 44, Briar Hill, Vic, 3088, Australia Telephone +61 (0)3 9432 4149 ~ Facsimile +61 (0)3 9444 6879