Arnold Bax - String Quartet No. 3 (Maggini Quartet)

Information

Composer: Arnold Bax

• (01) String Quartet No. 3 in F major
• (05) Lyrical Interlude for string quintet
• (06) Adagio ma non troppo 'Cathaleen-ni-Hoolihan' (from String Quartet in E major)

Maggini Quartet
Laurence Jackson, violin
David Angel, violin
Martin Outram, viola
Michal Kaznowski, cello
&
Garfield Jackson, viola (5)

Date: 2002
Label: Naxos
https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.555953

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Review

A second helping of insightful, sympathetic Bax from an augmented Maggini Quartet

Bax composed the last of his three mature string quartets between May and September 1936, inscribing it to the Griller Quartet who gave the first performance on the BBC National Programme the following May. An appealing, cogently structured 37-minute work, it is cast (unusually for Bax) in four movements, the joyous first of which ‘was probably influenced by the coming of spring in beautiful Kenmare’ (to quote the composer’s own descriptive notes in The Radio Times). An Irish flavour also permeates the bardic Poco lento, while the third movement’s ‘dreamy, remotely romantic’ trio melody is eventually cleverly welded to the ‘rather sinister and malicious’ scherzo material (try from the fugato passage at 7'26"). The vigorous finale builds up a fine head of steam and incorporates a wistful backward glance just before the close that is entirely characteristic of its creator.

Baxians have had to wait over two decades for a digital successor to the Amici Quartet’s pioneering LP (Gaudeamus, 11/79 – nla), so I’m delighted to report that the Maggini Quartet forge a well-paced and concentrated interpretation, playing with assurance, infectious rhythmic snap and heartwarming dedication. They are joined by violist Garfield Jackson for the haunting Lyrical Interlude from 1922 (a reworking of the slow movement from Bax’s ambitious String Quintet of 1908), and there’s another rarity in the shape of the lovely Adagio ma non troppo centrepiece from the 1903 String Quartet in E major that Bax orchestrated two years later as his first tone-poem, Cathaleen-ni-Hoolihan. (You can hear Martyn Brabbins’ première recording of the latter on Chandos, 6/01.)

Throughout, the sound is faithful in timbre and the balance most musically judged. Next up from the Maggini on Naxos is a Frank Bridge cycle – a mouthwatering prospect! In the meantime, don’t miss this outstanding disc.

-- Andrew Achenbach, Gramophone

More reviews:
BBC Music Magazine  PERFORMANCE: ***** / SOUND: *****
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Feb03/Baxsq3.htm
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Feb03/Baxq3.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/cvzf/
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2002/dec/13/classicalmusicandopera.artsfeatures
https://www.naxos.com/reviews/reviewslist.asp?catalogueid=8.555953&languageid=EN
https://www.amazon.com/Bax-Quartet-Lyrical-Interlude-quintet/dp/B0000794BI

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Arnold Bax (8 November 1883 – 3 October 1953) was an English composer, poet, and author. His prolific output includes songs, choral music, chamber pieces, and solo piano works, but he is best known for his orchestral music. In addition to a series of symphonic poems he wrote seven symphonies and was for a time widely regarded as the leading British symphonist. In his last years Bax found his music regarded as old-fashioned, and after his death it was generally neglected. From the 1960s onwards, mainly through a growing number of commercial recordings, his music was gradually rediscovered.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Bax

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The Maggini Quartet, formed in 1988, is a British string quartet. The Quartet's name derives from the famous 16th century Brescian violin maker Giovanni Paolo Maggini. Maggini Quartet is known for championing the British repertoire, and has made many CD recordings for publishers such as Naxos Records. In addition to their concert activity, the members of the Quartet have an international reputation as chamber music coaches. Its current members are Julian Leaper (violin 1), Ciaran McCabe (violin 2, replaced David Angel, who died unexpectedly in 2017), Martin Outram (viola) and Michal Kaznowski (cello).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maggini_Quartet
http://maggini.net/

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