Stanford: String Quartets Nos. 5 & 8

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Here is Stanford’s idiom at its most likeable, and least prolix…the Dante’s performances offer verve and precision, with immaculate recorded sound to match — BBC Music Magazine, February 2017, 4 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 30th Sep 2016
Catalogue No: SOMMCD0160
Label: Somm
Length: 66 minutes

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Stanford: String Quartet No. 5 in B flat major, Op. 104

Work length34:51

$8.00

$10.35

$14.00

Dante Quartet

I. Allegro moderato

Track length9:09

$2.00

$2.60

$3.50

II. Intermezzo. Allegretto

Track length5:53

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

III. Adagio pesante

Track length10:52

$3.00

$3.85

$5.25

IV. Allegro moderato

Track length8:57

$2.00

$2.60

$3.50

Joachim: 3 Stücke, Op. 2

Work length4:29

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

Krysia Osostowicz, Mark Bebbington

No. 1, Romance

Track length4:29

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

Stanford: String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 167

Work length27:35

$7.00

$9.10

$12.25

Dante Quartet

I. Allegro moderato

Track length7:50

$2.00

$2.60

$3.50

II. Allegretto

Track length4:45

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

III. Canzona. Adagio

Track length7:15

$2.00

$2.60

$3.50

IV. Finale. Allegro

Track length7:45

$2.00

$2.60

$3.50

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About

This Somm release signals the start of a significant new series of String Quartets which, quite unbelievably, have never been recorded before (apart from Nos 1 and 2), and these are the Eight Quartets by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. This first disc, recorded for Somm by the Dante Quartet, one of Britain's finest ensembles, contains Quartets Nos 5 and 8 and on the evidence of this first disc, they deserve to gain their rightful place among the great quartets of the early 20th century. They are a major body of work written between 1891 and 1921 and have rarely been performed, even though they are an eloquent witness of Stanford's undoubted ability as a composer of chamber music.

Stanford invested a lot of his creative powers in his eight string quartets which are all 'big-boned' intellectual works, yet full of vibrantly appealing melodies, structural invention and variety, and, typical of Stanford, they reveal a consummate understanding of the idiom. With the exception of Robert Simpson, no other British composer has devoted so much effort to the quartet idiom, yet Stanford's works still remain thoroughly neglected. Much of this is down to the unavailability of performing materials since four of the quartets, Nos 4, 6, 7 and 8, are still unpublished and require editorial work for performance and recording. Somm is grateful to Professor Jeremy Dibble for his editorial work and for being the guiding light in the recording of this first disc.

Stanford wrote the Fifth Quartet in memory of his friend and mentor, the violinist Joseph Joachim who died in 1907. In this Quartet Stanford included his own personal tribute in each of the four movements, a motto 'quotation' from the opening bars of Joachim's Romance Op.2 no.1 for violin and piano, which we have included in this recording for its strong connection to Quartet No.5. Quartet No.8 was written late in Stanford's life and for all its light-hearted gestures it is a dark, introspective work in a minor key. Yet it shows a high level of invention typical of Stanford's romantic style and clean classical thinking.

Reviews

February 2017

Here is Stanford’s idiom at its most likeable, and least prolix…the Dante’s performances offer verve and precision, with immaculate recorded sound to match

December 2016

This whole disc serves Stanford handsomely. These are premiere recordings, but the Dante Quartet speak Stanford’s lyrical, lucid but slightly reticent late-Romantic language like natives…there’s a genuine sense here of four individuals in conversation; a spontaneity, too…in its understated way, this music gets under your skin. Clear, warm sound completes a really worthwhile release

8th November 2016

Two excellent first recordings launch auspiciously a compete cycle of Stanford’s string quartets

Classical Ear 25th November 2016

The members of the Dante Quartet lend this rewarding offering wholly committed advocacy…a most enterprising and thoroughly likeable release, this, truthfully engineered, and well worth tracking down

Stanford: String Quartets Nos. 5 & 8

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