Benefitting from the afterglow of the 1949 Koussevitzky Prize for his First Symphony, Peter Racine Fricker's original and striking First Quartet was premiered later that year to international acclaim. The Second Quartet shares a formal clarity and kinship with the tonality heard in the First, but evolving in range, technique and eloquence of expression. The symmetrical Third Quartet with its intricate variations is finely crafted in the serial style of Fricker's later music.

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REVIEW:

Listening to these marvelously sympathetic performances from the Villiers Quartet, one wonders why they are not better known. This is the first recording of the Nos. 1 & 3, the latter a masterpiece of poise, balance, and re-discovered expressive purpose. Naxos' sound is beautifully balanced and the best these works have enjoyed. Highly recommended.

– Gramophone