Ferdinand Ries: much more than épigone Beethoven

Poor Ferdinand Ries: born in Bonn in 1784 as Beethoven; amounts to Vienna ... Beethoven; secretary, in Vienna, the same Beethoven ... and at the end of his life, biographer of Beethoven, again and again. Is it remained in the shadow of his mentor? For ten years, recordings explore his repertoire, highlighting sometimes his symphonies, sometimes his piano concertos, sonatas, chamber music.
This disc is dedicated to his quartets for flute, violin, viola and cello, composed at the end of his life, when he returns to his native Rhineland after a busy career. As always with Ries, one discovers a very elegant music, very refined, very well written while remaining lightweight. The style is largely influenced by the eighteenth century (hence perhaps the use of the flute); dialogue between the instruments is perfectly brought to completion in concise movements. Ries is also at ease in the slow movements in the more virtuosic passages. It is in no way inferior to his master!
This is the flutist John Herrick Littlefield who wrote the leaflet (bilingual: English and German). The sound is a hint reverberated with a viola and a cello a little distant, but the overall listening with interest and pleasure.