Charles Villiers Stanford - String Quartets Nos. 1, 2 & 6 (Dante Quartet)

Information

Composer: Charles Villiers Stanford

• (01) String Quartet No. 1 in G major, Op. 44
• (05) String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 45
• (09) String Quartet No. 6 in A minor, Op. 122

Dante Quartet

Krysia Osostowicz, violin

Oscar Perks, violin

Yuko Inoue, viola

Richard Jenkinson, cello

Date: 2020

Label: SOMM Recordings

https://www.somm-recordings.com/recording/stanford-string-quartets-1-2-6/

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Review

Hats off, folks: the completion of the first full recorded cycle of Stanford’s string quartets deserves a moment of acknowledgement. This third and final disc in Somm’s cycle spans the period 1891 to 1911, and extends in style from the Mendelssohn-like lyricism and grace of the First Quartet to the more concise and complex (Jeremy Dibble, in his excellent booklet notes, calls it ‘sinewy’) A minor quartet, No 6 – a premiere recording of a work that reflects, perhaps, a growing awareness of more troubled musical times.

But really, the more you listen to this music, the more distinctively Stanford’s own voice emerges. The way he uses pizzicato and tremolando to lighten the texture, as well as to add colour; the sudden flashes of wit, and above all, the warmth and lyrical impulse that’s never far from the surface even in movements as brilliant as the Prestissimo Scherzo of No 2 – well, you can hear why Bernard Shaw (by no means an uncritical admirer of Stanford) felt that this work was ‘alive with feeling from beginning to end’.

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. The Dantes have a flair for Stanford’s moments of musical storytelling (the lyrical outbursts in the central section of No 6’s second movement are almost operatic) and cellist Richard Jenkinson has an impressive head for heights. Each of the three performances generates its own momentum, creating a sense of each work’s coherent musical narrative. If you’ve collected the set – or just want to explore – there’s no need to hesitate.

-- Richard Bratby, Gramophone

More reviews:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2020/Feb/Stanford_quartets_v3_SOMMCD0607.htm

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2020/Feb/Stanford_quartets_v3_SOMMCD0607_JW.htm

https://www.allmusic.com/album/charles-villiers-stanford-string-quartets-nos-1-2-6-mw0003342294

https://www.amazon.com/String-Quartets-1-2-6/dp/B081JRNQ17

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Charles Villiers Stanford (30 September 1852 – 29 March 1924) was an Irish composer, music teacher, and conductor. Some regarded Stanford, together with Hubert Parry and Alexander Mackenzie, are responsible for a renaissance in music from the British Isles. In 1882, aged 29, he was one of the founding professors of the Royal College of Music, where he taught for the rest of his life. From 1887 he was also Professor of Music at Cambridge. His students included Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams and many more. His music was eclipsed in the 20th century by that of Edward Elgar as well as his former pupils.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Villiers_Stanford

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The Dante Quartet, founded in 1995, is one of the UK’s finest ensembles, known for its imaginative programming and impassioned performances. Frequently heard on Radio 3, the Quartet and has appeared many times at Wigmore Hall and Kings Place, as well as at the UK's foremost festivals and music societies. They have made many acclaimed recordings for Hyperion, Signum and SOMM labels. Committed also to teaching, they have created an annual string quartet course in France. The Quartet has been honoured with the Royal Philharmonic Society Award and also international awards for its recordings.
https://dantequartet.org/

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