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Delius & Smyth: String Quartets / Villiers Quartet
Naxos

Delius & Smyth: String Quartets / Villiers Quartet

$19.99

Details

Composer
Frederick Delius, Ethel Smyth
Artist
Villiers Quartet
Format
CD
Label
Naxos
Released
Oct 14, 2022
Catalog #
8574376
UPC
747313437672

About

The String Quartet in E minor by Ethel Smyth, one of the most innovative and original figures in English music, has a masterful coherence and consistency. With eloquent writing for the viola in particular, it is both playful and reverential, and ends with a flourish – forthright, bold and uncompromising, like Smyth herself. Delius wrote the early String Quartet in 1888 but it was rejected for performance and he was later to reuse the Scherzo for his mature Quartet of 1916–19. In 2018 the score of the two opening movements of the 1888 Quartet, long assumed lost, reappeared at auction and have been edited and reunited with the final two in this premiere recording, which adds significantly to our understanding of Delius’s early compositional directions.

REVIEWS:

A Delius discovery is brought to life with compelling musicianship…The Villiers Quartet gives it a fine first recording, captured in warm and well-balanced sound.

-- The Strad

Full marks to the Villiers Quartet for bringing this new and challenging repertoire to life.

-- Gramophone

...what I like about this quartet very much is its questing nature – this is a kind of musical laboratory for Delius to test out ideas, nascent harmonies and textures that would define his mature music in the years ahead.

-- MusicWeb International

Tracklist 8 tracks

  1. 1 I. Allegretto lirico 12:41
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegretto lirico
    Duration
    12:41
    Composer
    Ethel Smyth
    Ensemble
    Villiers Quartet
  2. 2 II. Allegro molto leggiero 05:21
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Allegro molto leggiero
    Duration
    05:21
    Composer
    Ethel Smyth
    Ensemble
    Villiers Quartet
  3. 3 III. Andante 12:14
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Andante
    Duration
    12:14
    Composer
    Ethel Smyth
    Ensemble
    Villiers Quartet
  4. 4 IV. Allegro energico 09:10
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Allegro energico
    Duration
    09:10
    Composer
    Ethel Smyth
    Ensemble
    Villiers Quartet
  5. 5 I. Allegro assai 10:18
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Allegro assai
    Duration
    10:18
    Composer
    Frederick Delius
    Ensemble
    Villiers Quartet
  6. 6 II. Allegro vivace 04:42
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Allegro vivace
    Duration
    04:42
    Composer
    Frederick Delius
    Ensemble
    Villiers Quartet
  7. 7 III. Adagio, con molta espressione 05:15
    Track
    7
    Title
    III. Adagio, con molta espressione
    Duration
    05:15
    Composer
    Frederick Delius
    Ensemble
    Villiers Quartet
  8. 8 IV. Finale: Agitato, allegro 05:37
    Track
    8
    Title
    IV. Finale: Agitato, allegro
    Duration
    05:37
    Composer
    Frederick Delius
    Ensemble
    Villiers Quartet