Quatuor à Cordes

• Although written by a young man, this string quartet already was a quite mature work.
  Journeau was 28 years old : a passionate age, thus a passionate musical work.
  His way of writing already was firm and strongly personal : the composer will later consider the work as a sample of his own style of writing.
• A short historical survey:
  - First performance in 1930, by Eugène Bozza (a French composer and violonist) and Jean Martinon.The French critics of the time appreciated the work
  - Broadcasting on the French Radio in 1951 with the French "Quatuor Quattrochi".
  - Recording in 2000 by the French "Quatuor de Chartres" (compact-disc, "REM")
• Musical style:
  It refers to the traditional way of writing you find with Ravel, Fauré and Debussy
• For piano duets : a transcription for four hands, written by the composer himself.