Utwory na płycie:

• String Quartet No. 2 in C major, Op. 36: I. Allegro calmo senza rigore
• String Quartet No. 2 in C major, Op. 36: Ii. Vivace
• String Quartet No. 2 in C major, Op. 36: Iii. Chacony
• Three Divertimenti for String Quartet (1936): I. March
• Three Divertimenti for String Quartet (1936): Ii. Waltz
• Three Divertimenti for String Quartet (1936): Iii. Burlesque
• Miniature Suite (1929): I. Novelette
• Miniature Suite (1929): Ii. Menuetto
• Miniature Suite (1929): Iii. Romanza
• Miniature Suite (1929): Iv. Gavotte
• String Quartet in D major (1931/74): I. Allegro maestoso
• String Quartet in D major (1931/74): Ii. Lento ed espressivo
• String Quartet in D major (1931/74): Iii. Allegro giocoso
• String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 25: I. Andante sostenuto - Allegro vivo
• String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 25: Ii. Allegretto con slancio
• String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 25: Iii. Andante calmo
• String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 25: Iv. Molto vivace
• Alla Marcia (1933)
• String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94: I. Duets. With moderate movement
• String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94: Ii. Ostinato. Very fast
• String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94: Iii. Solo. Very calm
• String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94: Iv. Burlesque. Fast, con fuoco - Quasi ‘trio' - (‘maggiore')
• String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94: V. Recitative and Passacaglia (La Serenissima). Slow - Slowly moving
• Simple Symphony, Op. 4: I. Boisterous Bourrée
• Simple Symphony, Op. 4: Ii. Playful Pizzicato
• Simple Symphony, Op. 4: Iii. Sentimental Saraband
• Simple Symphony, Op. 4: Iv. Frolicsome Finale
• Rhapsody (1929)
• Quartettino (1930): I. Andante
• Quartettino (1930): Ii. Poco adagio ma con moto
• Quartettino (1930): Iii. Allegro molto vivace
• Phantasy in F minor for string quintet (1932)
• String Quartet in F (1928): I. Allegro vivace e con brio
• String Quartet in F (1928): Ii. Andante
• String Quartet in F (1928): Iii. Allegro vivace
• String Quartet in F (1928): Iv. Allegro molto

CD 1:
String Quartet No. 2 in C major, Op. 36
Three Divertimenti
Miniature Suite
String Quartet in D major

CD 2:
String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 25
Alla Marcia
String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94

CD 3:
Simple Symphony, Op. 4
Rhapsody
Quartettino
Phantasy in F minor for string quintet
String Quartet in F

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.

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Recordings: March 2007 at Potton Hall, Suffolk, England (CD 1); May 2005 at Potton Hall, Suffolk, England (CD 2); April 2011 at Potton Hall, Suffolk, England (CD 3).