Quartuor Cobalt unveils
its inaugural first album

Reflets du temps is a vibrant tribute to female composers through the centuries

February 17, 2025

The Quatuor Cobalt, a Montreal-based string ensemble, has released their debut album Reflets du temps under the independent Canadian label GFN Classics. This unique project showcases a collection of works celebrating the diversity of the string quartet repertoire with three exceptional female composers little known to the general public: Maddalena Laura Lombardini Sirmen, an 18th-century virtuoso, Fanny Hensel Mendelssohn, a Romantic pioneer, and Alicia Terzian, a prominent figure in contemporary music.

This unique project showcases a collection of works celebrating the diversity of the string quartet repertoire with three exceptional female composers little known to the general public.

Through Reflets du temps, the Quatuor Cobalt invites the audience on a journey rich in nuances, textures, and emotions, where each work reveals the unique universe of its creators. The album includes Maddalena Laura Lombardini Sirmen’s Quartet Op. 3 No. 2 in B-flat major, Fanny Hensel Mendelssohn’s Quartet in E-flat major, H.277, and Alicia Terzian’s Tres Piezas Op. 5, works rarely recorded but of great musical richness.

A debut opus for a young quartet

Image: Annabelle Marquis

With this project, the Quatuor Cobalt aims to appeal to both knowledgeable music lovers and the general public. “We believe that playing the repertoire on period instruments opens up a fascinating field of exploration. Using bows and strings specific to each period invites us to reconsider our approach, to explore new sounds and articulations different from those of modern instruments,” explains the Quatuor Cobalt. While this approach is now well-established in the Baroque repertoire, it is still in its infancy in the Romantic repertoire. This desire to challenge traditions in order to offer something new represents a fertile artistic ground that the Quatuor Cobalt takes pleasure in exploring.

A true musical mosaic

Reflets du temps is not a simple compilation. The album stands out for its historically informed approach, a method that gives each piece an authentic and distinctive sound. The Quatuor Cobalt uses instruments, bows, and strings faithful to the Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary periods. This in-depth sound research allows listeners to immerse themselves in unique atmospheres and brings each work to life with a colour and intensity specific to each period.

A Vibrant Tribute to Three Female Composers

The Quatuor Cobalt explores the cultural diversity of three eras while highlighting female voices in the world of classical music. This album also carries a message of recognition for these artists who often flew under the radar in their time.

Maddalena Laura Lombardini Sirmen, a pioneer in her era, was one of the first women to achieve significant success as both a violinist and composer in Europe. Her work, contemporary to that of composer Haydn, demonstrates a musical writing style already well-established in the gallant classical style. Sirmen was a composer very much of her time, at the forefront of the musical transformations taking place.

Fanny Hensel Mendelssohn is an accomplished composer, although she remained in the shadow of her brother Felix. In Reflets du temps, the Quatuor Cobalt wanted to offer her quartet a new perspective, notably by presenting what is possibly the first recording on period instruments of her String Quartet in E-flat major H.277 (1823).

Alicia Terzian, for her part, is a leading composer of the avant-garde scene in Argentina and Latin America. She has an impressive body of compositions to her credit, which has earned her numerous international recognitions. Her Tres Piezas op. 5, composed in 1954 and inspired by traditional Armenian music, has rarely been recorded with a string quartet formation, dating back to 1968.

‘The Quatuor Cobalt uses instruments, bows, and strings faithful to the Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary periods.’

Recorded at Salle du Domaine Forget in Dolby Atmos by JUNO Award winner and Grammy nominee Carl Talbot, Reflets du temps has been available on all platforms since January 17, 2025. The first single, the second movement (Allegretto) of Fanny Mendelssohn’s quartet, was released on November 15, 2024.

The music video, shot in the beautiful Maison Louis-Joseph-Forget with director Charles-William De Melo, features Quebec painter Annabelle Marquis, who also created the album cover.

About Quatuor Cobalt

Founded in 2017, Quatuor Cobalt is known for its eclectic and modern approach, exploring early music on period instruments and contemporary creations with equal enthusiasm. They are committed to offering historically informed content and contributing to the dissemination of current repertoire.

Since its inception, the ensemble has performed in several renowned venues, establishing itself as a leading force on the Canadian music scene. As engaged artists, the quartet members are dedicated to making their art more accessible to a wide audience, challenging stylistic and social barriers.

It is with this vision that Quatuor Cobalt founded Les ruelles musicales in 2020, a series of outdoor concerts given in Montreal alleyways, serving as a true vehicle for artistic democratization by offering the community the opportunity to attend quality performances combining music and other forms of live arts.

About GFN Productions

GFN Productions is a Quebec-based music producer and promoter that organizes over 75 concerts annually across Canada. The company collaborates with a wide range of artists and specializes in producing large-scale symphonic and orchestral concerts. GFN has worked with international stars such as Andrea Bocelli, Ute Lemper, and Patrick Watson.

As the leading promoter of film concerts in Canada in recent years, GFN Productions established a partnership with the FILMharmonic Orchestra since its foundation in 2018. GFN also manages this Montreal-based orchestra, which performs regularly throughout the country. Founded by Gabriel Felcarek, Francis Choinière, and Nicholas Choinière, GFN Productions has produced four albums under the GFN Classics label, as well as five concert recordings and a short documentary film titled Passé recomposé.

In addition to concert production, GFN Productions offers a full range of services including artist management, tour management, orchestral outsourcing, and music recording, which has solidified its reputation among leading independent promoters in Canada.

Feature image: Annie Éthier

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