Britten: The Music for String Quartet

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The Emperors bring energy, commitment, real understanding of the idiom and finesse to all these works... if you want everything Britten wrote for the medium – and it is all worth hearing – then... — MusicWeb International, December 2022 More…

Release Date: 5th Aug 2022
Catalogue No: BIS2640
Label: BIS
Length: 3 hours 21 minutes

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Britten: String Quartet No. 2 in C major, Op. 36

Work length31:20

Album only

$9.05

$12.25

Emperor Quartet

I. Allegro calmo, senza rigore

Track length8:37

$1.50

$2.60

$3.50

II. Vivace

Track length3:37

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

III. Chacony

Track length19:06

Album only

$5.15

$7.00

Britten: Three Divertimenti

Work length10:28

$3.00

$3.90

$5.25

Emperor Quartet

No. 1, March

Track length3:45

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

No. 2, Waltz

Track length3:12

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

No. 3, Burlesque

Track length3:31

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

Britten: Miniature Suite

Work length10:18

$4.00

$5.20

$7.00

Emperor Quartet

I. Novelette

Track length2:59

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

II. Menuetto

Track length3:10

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

III. Romanza

Track length1:58

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

IV. Gavotte

Track length2:11

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

Britten: String Quartet in D Major (1974 Version)

Work length19:41

$3.50

$5.20

$7.00

Emperor Quartet

I. Allegro maestoso

Track length8:58

$1.50

$2.60

$3.50

II. Lento ed espressivo

Track length5:26

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

III. Allegro giocoso

Track length5:17

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

Britten: String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 25

Work length25:55

$5.00

$9.05

$12.25

Emperor Quartet

I. Andante sostenuto - Allegro vivo

Track length8:36

$1.00

$2.60

$3.50

II. Allegretto con slancio

Track length3:01

$1.50

$1.30

$1.75

III. Andante calmo

Track length10:17

$1.00

$3.85

$5.25

IV. Molto vivace

Track length4:01

$1.50

$1.30

$1.75

Britten: Alla Marcia

Work length3:26

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

Emperor Quartet

Britten: String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94

Work length26:15

$5.50

$7.80

$10.50

Emperor Quartet

I. Duets. With Moderate Movement

Track length5:25

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

II. Ostinato. Very Fast

Track length3:08

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

III. Solo. Very Calm

Track length5:37

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

IV. Burlesque. Fast

Track length2:17

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

V. Recitative & Passacaglia. Slow

Track length9:48

$1.50

$2.60

$3.50

Britten: Simple Symphony, Op. 4

Work length16:02

$5.55

$5.20

$7.00

Emperor Quartet

I. Boisterous Bourrée

Track length2:56

$1.50

$1.30

$1.75

II. Playful Pizzicato

Track length3:13

$2.05

$1.30

$1.75

III. Sentimental Sarabande

Track length6:43

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

IV. Frolicsome Finale

Track length3:10

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

Britten: Rhapsody for String Quartet

Work length7:42

$1.00

$2.60

$3.50

Emperor Quartet

Britten: Quartettino

Work length16:36

$3.00

$3.90

$5.25

Emperor Quartet

I. Andante

Track length6:21

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

II. Poco adagio ma con moto

Track length6:35

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

III. Allegro molto vivace

Track length3:40

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

Britten: Phantasy for string quintet

Work length11:18

$1.00

$3.85

$5.25

Emperor Quartet

Britten: String Quartet in F Major (1928)

Work length22:54

$4.50

$6.50

$8.75

Emperor Quartet

I. Allegro vivace e con brio

Track length8:42

$1.50

$2.60

$3.50

II. Andante

Track length2:58

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

III. Allegro vivace

Track length4:26

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

IV. Allegro molto

Track length6:48

$1.00

$1.30

$1.75

About
Reviews
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About

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 colours 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.

Reviews

December 2022

The Emperors bring energy, commitment, real understanding of the idiom and finesse to all these works... if you want everything Britten wrote for the medium – and it is all worth hearing – then this set will do nicely.

Classical CD Choice 29th November 2022

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.

Offer,Britten: The Music for String Quartet

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