Britten: The Music for String Quartet / Emperor Quartet

$45.99
Label
BIS
Release Date
July 1, 2022
Format
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    Featuring ⌄
    • COMPOSER
      Benjamin Britten
    • ORCHESTRA / ENSEMBLE
      Emperor Quartet
    • PERFORMER
      Emperor Quartet
    Product Details ⌄
    • RELEASE DATE
      July 01, 2022
    • UPC
      7318599926407
    • CATALOG NUMBER
      BIS-2640
    • LABEL
      BIS
    • NUMBER OF DISCS
      3
    • GENRE
      Classical
    Works ⌄

    1. I. Allegro calmo senza rigore

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    2. II. Vivace

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    3. III. Chacony: Sostenuto

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    4. No. 1. March: Allegro maestoso

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    5. No. 2. Waltz: Allegretto

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    6. No. 3. Burlesque: Presto

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    7. I. Novelette

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    8. II. Menuetto

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    9. III. Romanza

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    10. IV. Gavotte

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    11. I. Allegro maestoso -

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    12. II. Lento ed espressivo -

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    13. III. Allegro giocoso

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    14. I. Andante sostenuto - Allegro vivo

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    15. II. Allegretto con slancio

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    16. III. Andante calmo

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    17. IV. Molto vivace

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    18. Alla marcia

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    19. I. Duets: With moderate movement

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    20. II. Ostinato: Very fast

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    21. III. Solo: Very calm - Lively

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    22. IV. Burlesque: Fast

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    23. V. Recitative and passacaglia (La serenissima): Slow

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    24. I. Boisterous Bourrée

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    25. II. Playful Pizzicato

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    26. III. Sentimental Sarabande

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    27. IV. Frolicsome Finale

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    28. Rhapsody

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    29. I. Andante -

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    30. II. Poco adagio ma con moto

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    31. III. Allegro molto vivace

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    32. Phantasy for String Quintet in F Minor

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

      Performer: John Metcalfe

    33. I. Allegro vivace e con brio

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    34. II. Andante

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    35. III. Allegro vivace

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet

    36. IV. Allegro molto

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: Emperor Quartet


Between 2010 and 2014, the British Emperor Quartet released the three discs gathered here, with all of Benjamin Britten’s published music for string quartet – as well as his one work for string quintet, the Phantasy in F minor. Their performances of the three numbered quartets, undisputed masterpieces of 20th-century chamber music, were variously described by the critics as ‘stupendous’ (Classic FM Magazine), ‘a wonderful homage’ (Ensemble), and ‘a complete cosmos of colors and nuances’ (Fono Forum), and the discs received top marks and distinctions in magazines such as Fanfare, Diapason and International Record Review.

Britten wrote his String Quartets Nos 1, 2 and 3 in 1941, 1945 and 1975 respectively, but his natural facility in writing for strings was evident from a very early age. The Emperor’s set includes a number of youthful works, from the String Quartet in F, by a fourteen-year old schoolboy, to Simple Symphony, composed in 1934 and the work which may be regarded as his breakthrough. The box set includes the original booklets, with insightful liner notes by Britten specialist Arnold Whittall.

REVIEW:

The Emperors bring energy, commitment, real understanding of the idiom and finesse to all these works. Perhaps they are more at home with the early works than with the final quartet, but that is a strange and hermetic work, and I found their performance compelling enough.

-- MusicWeb International

These remarkable recordings of Britten’s elusive string quartets have appeared before, but are very welcome in this compilation, giving listeners the chance to appraise a lesser-known aspect of Britten’s compositional genius. The Emperor Quartet have the full measure of the pieces.

-- Classical CD Choice