THE QUARTET DE BEC "FRULLATO" was founded in 1982 with the intention of enjoying and making know the repertoire of twentieth century music for recorder.

In 1984 they won the prizes for groups and for repertoire in the second edition of Ihe "Yamaha in
Spain" competition.

They have performed in many prestigious concerts and Comtemporary music festivals (Alicanle,
Madrid, Barcelona...) and their interpretations have been recorded and broadcast by various lelevision and radio stations (RNE, Magyar Television, Calalunya Radio. TVE and TV3 of Catalunya...)

They have also widened this repertoire, wlth -up to the present- first performances of 27 works, 21 of which are dedicated to the quartet.

On the occaision of our tenth anniversary in 1992 we have asked the composers closest to us for
short conmemorative pieces: the first part of this compact disc is made up of eleven of these works. The disc is completed by three longer works that have been in our repertoire for a period over the years and that have had a special significance for us.

We have taken greal care in the preparation of the works presented here, and have worked in close contact with the composers in order to reproduce as exactly as possible their intentions. The different works have required a wide range of approaches and efforts from individual virtuosity to precisely co-ordinated ensemble-work; and from investigation into special timbres and sound-effects to a meticulous exactness in rhythm and tuning.

We are pleased to have the oportunity here to thank warmly all those composers who have written
for us over the years, and especially those who have responded so generously to our request for
works to celebrate our tenth anniversary

(Translation: Benjamin Davies)

This year sees the tenth anniversary of the founding of the QUARTET DE BEC "FRULLATO". I firmly believe this is an important and significant event, given that -in a country where musical formations tend to have a short life- this group has shown itself to possess considerable solidity and seriousness in their work. And this has all the more merit if we consider that they have dedicated themselves exclusively to music of this century, whereas specialising in ancient music would, bearing in mind the history of the recorder, have been a much simpler option.

This compact disc has been produced in part to commemorate and celebrate this anniversary and is
made up of pieces written especially for the Quartet de bec "Frullato".

The works included are written in a wide range of styles, thus reflecting the diversity of tendencies to be found in our times. The norm in previovs epochs of estylistic unity no longer holds and one could almost say that now there are as many ways of writing as there are composers. Although this might sound somewhat exagerated, it is a fact that, since the breakdown of tonality, the search for alternative means of holding a work together has been unceasing and has led down many and varied paths. The pieces in the present disc reflect this phenomenon. Thus we find traces of pointillism in Davies, densely-argued writing with a slighty "baroque" approach in Del Puerto, homogenous and "hard" expression in Brncic, the influence of folkmusic in Amargós, and the search for special sonorities and timbres in Nuix, while other pieces range from minimalism to ethnic music.

David Padrós 1992
(Trans: B.D.)