“Our way with string quartets is a bit on the slow side.” That’s Gabriel Le Magadure, violinist in the Paris-based Ébène Quartet, talking about his ensemble’s approach to rehearsals. You’ll get the chance to hear the outcome of those unhurried, careful preparations at Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall on 27 February, when the Ébène perform as part of the New Town Concerts series. “We’re the kind of group that rehearses a lot, and we need time to be on top form for the pieces we play. We like to do slow-motion practice to be able to catch all the harmonies well.”

That level of care and attention is clearly audible in the remarkable sonic sophistication in the Ébène’s performances, accounts that still manage to capture a sense of freshness and spontaneity. But that focus on getting things right, and on choosing the right way to do so, is perhaps also a sign of the Quartet’s maturity. Its players (three of them, at least: violist Marie Chilemme joined in 2017) have been together for more than 20 years, and have numerous CD releases, international performances, festivals and teaching positions under their belts. Indeed, their Edinburgh date is sandwiched between concerts at London’s Wigmore Hall and Berlin’s Philharmonie. Though as Le Magadure explains, the days of back-to-back touring are mostly behind them. “I remember about 15 years ago, our first US tour was about 17 concerts in 21 days. By the end of it we were destroyed. And we decided then to reduce things a bit: we don’t want to play as if we’re in a factory.”

Indeed, Le Magadure gives the impression that this is a Quartet considering its very role and purpose – prompted, not surprisingly, by recent events. In 2019 the Ébènes took all of Beethoven’s 16 string quartets to six continents – then took a ten-month sabbatical to recover. Then the pandemic struck, causing an even longer period of separation from audiences. Getting back into the swing of things, Le Magadure admits, wasn’t easy. “I discussed this a lot with Pierre [Colombet, the Quartet’s co-violinist]: I felt a bit scared coming back on stage, and we all felt a bit naked, and we had to learn how to be on stage again.”

Even stranger, Le Magadure says, was simply being apart from the other Quartet players. “I’ve always considered us to be brothers and sister – a family in the sense that you didn’t choose to be with them, but you are, so you have to live with it. Except in this case we did actually choose each other!” There are similar, family-style debates and disagreements that the four individuals have to resolve into an overarching musical vision. “Rehearsals are about finding that balance between your own individual opinions and the goal of the group,” Le Magadure explains. “Sometimes it can mean arguing – actually, we argue a lot – but in the end, we find a compromise, and that’s the essence of the Quartet.”

The Ébène’s Edinburgh concert brings together music that’s been with the Quartet since its inception. “We played Schumann’s Third Quartet a lot a long time ago, when we were involved in our early competitions, so it’s still in our fingers.” Le Magadure is particularly excited about the concert’s opener, the 2019 Secular Suite by Swiss-born Richard Dubugnon: “It’s a wonderful piece, based around the day from dawn until sunset, and using lots of extracts from Bach.”

But it’s Ravel’s sole String Quartet that’s almost a calling card for the group: it appeared on one of their earliest discs, and it’s been in their repertoire since their student days. “It’s had a bit of the same evolution as our own life. Sometimes we don’t play it for two or three years, which is the case now. But then when we look at it again, it’s a bit like a yoga session: it means very slow practising. We feel good doing this kind of work, so that we can focus on all of Ravel’s harmonies. There’s not one note of this music that should be disregarded.”

The Ébène Quartet plays Dubugnon, Ravel and Schumann at the Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, on 27 February www.thequeenshall.net

The Ébène Quartet approach to getting things right: 'We like to do slow-motion practice'