Gramophone Magazine
October 2025
Editor's Choice

Sandrine Piau (soprano), Quatuor Psophos

Schubert: Der Jüngling und der Tod, D. 545 (Arr. for Soprano and String Quartet by Jacques Gandard)
Schubert: 4 Gesänge aus "Wilhelm Meister", D. 877: No. 4, Lied der Mignon [III]. Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt (Arr. for Soprano and String Quartet by Jacques Gandard)
Schubert: Mignon, D. 321 (Arr. for Soprano and String Quartet by Jacques Gandard)
Schubert: Gesange Aus 'wilhelm Meister' D877 (Goethe). No. 2, Lied der Mignon [I]. Heiss mich nicht reden, heiss mich schweigen (Arr. for Soprano and String Quartet by Jacques Gandard) &
No. 3, Lied der Mignon [II]. So lasst mich scheinen, bis ich werde (Arr. for Soprano and String Quartet by Jacques Gandard)
Schubert: Der Musensohn, Op. 92 No. 1, D. 764 (Arr. for Soprano and String Quartet by Jacques Gandard)
Schubert: Ganymed, Op. 19 No. 3, D. 544 (Arr. for Soprano and String Quartet by Jacques Gandard)
Schubert: Viola, Op. Posth. 123, D. 786 (Arr. for Soprano and String Quartet by Jacques Gandard)
Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor, Op. Posth., D. 810 "Death and the Maiden": II. Andante con moto
Schubert: Erlkönig, Op. 1, D. 328 (Arr. for Soprano and String Quartet by Jacques Gandard)
Schubert: Quartettsatz in C Minor, Op. Posth., D. 703: I. Allegro Assai
Schubert: Wandrers Nachtlied, D. 768 (Arr. for Soprano and String Quartet by Jacques Gandard)

Sandrine Piau admits that she has always been fascinated not only by Schubert’s music but also by the genre of the string quartet. "The endless quest for the pure gesture in which we lose ourselves in order to become one with each other reminds me of the aquatic ballets in old-fashioned musicals, when female swimmers formed images of perfect flowers”. Thanks to the Psophos Quartet, her dream has now been realised; together they present a magnificent programme of transcriptions. "Between the hair of the bows and the texture of the voice, our instruments blend and form an imaginary Schubert quintet".

"Her clear, precise voice, musical intelligence and relationship with language were made for this composer...these transcriptions by composer Jacques Gandard work so well that the album has a meant-to-be quality." - Gramophone Magazine, October 2025