Stanford: String Quartets Nos. 1, 2 & 6
Dante Quartet
The Dante Quartet’s performances are superbly stylish and accurate; the First Quartet is led by second violinist Oscar Perks, who delivers every bit as impressively as leader Krysia Osostowicz...
Stanford: String Quartets Nos. 1, 2 & 6
Dante Quartet
Purchase product
The Dante Quartet’s performances are superbly stylish and accurate; the First Quartet is led by second violinist Oscar Perks, who delivers every bit as impressively as leader Krysia Osostowicz...
About
SOMM Recordings historic complete survey of Charles Villiers Stanfords String Quartets by the Dante Quartet reaches its end with a third volume focusing on Nos. 1 and 2, and the first recording of No. 6. Already acclaimed as a composer of choral music, Stanford came relatively late to the string quartet form, composing his first two at the age of 39 in 1891. Six more followed over the next three decades, including the Op. 122 String Quartet, No. 6 in 1910. This final volume features the early String Quartets, Opp. 44 (No. 1) and 45 (No. 2) which share a concern for meticulous use of individual instrument voices and a leaning towards lyricism. Allusions to Beethoven and Mozart are contained within Stanfords own beautifully crafted music. Heard here in its premiere recording, the Sixth String Quartet is a work of rich contrasts, restless energy and some of Stanfords most expressive writing for the medium. Authoritative booklet notes are provided by Stanford expert, Jeremy Dibble.
Contents and tracklist
Awards and reviews
March 2020
The Dante Quartet’s performances are superbly stylish and accurate; the First Quartet is led by second violinist Oscar Perks, who delivers every bit as impressively as leader Krysia Osostowicz in the other works.
March 2020
Hats off, folks: the completion of the first full recorded cycle of Stanford’s string quartets deserves a moment of acknowledgement...the more you listen to this music, the more distinctively Stanford’s own voice emerges...Few quartets can have more experience of Stanford’s style than the Dante Quartet, and as with previous releases in this series, their performances go far beyond mere read-throughs. They’re ardent, alert and thoroughly lived in.
February 2020
Admirers of Stanford’s music and/or of British chamber music are indebted to the Dante Quartet, to Prof Jeremy Dibble and to SOMM Recordings for making these excellent quartets readily accessible at last...the performances are consistently excellent and committed
