Britten: The Music for String Quartet Emperor Quartet

• Benjamin Britten (1913 – 1976): String Quartet No. 2 in C Major, Op. 36:
• 1 Britten: String Quartet No. 2 in C Major, Op. 36: I. Allegro calmo, senza rigore 08:37
• 2 Britten: String Quartet No. 2 in C Major, Op. 36: II. Vivace 03:37
• 3 Britten: String Quartet No. 2 in C Major, Op. 36: III. Chacony 19:06
• 3 Divertimenti for String Quartet (1936 Version):
• 4 Britten: 3 Divertimenti for String Quartet (1936 Version): No. 1, March 03:45
• 5 Britten: 3 Divertimenti for String Quartet (1936 Version): No. 2, Waltz 03:12
• 6 Britten: 3 Divertimenti for String Quartet (1936 Version): No. 3, Burlesque 03:32
• Miniature Suite:
• 7 Britten: Miniature Suite: I. Novelette 02:59
• 8 Britten: Miniature Suite: II. Menuetto 03:11
• 9 Britten: Miniature Suite: III. Romanza 01:58
• 10 Britten: Miniature Suite: IV. Gavotte 02:11
• String Quartet in D Major (1974 Version):
• 11 Britten: String Quartet in D Major (1974 Version): I. Allegro maestoso 08:58
• 12 Britten: String Quartet in D Major (1974 Version): II. Lento ed espressivo 05:26
• 13 Britten: String Quartet in D Major (1974 Version): III. Allegro giocoso 05:17
• String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25:
• 14 Britten: String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25: I. Andante sostenuto - Allegro vivo 08:36
• 15 Britten: String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25: II. Allegretto con slancio 03:01
• 16 Britten: String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25: III. Andante calmo 10:17
• 17 Britten: String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25: IV. Molto vivace 04:01
• Alla marcia for String Quartet:
• 18 Britten: Alla marcia for String Quartet 03:26
• String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94:
• 19 Britten: String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94: I. Duets. With Moderate Movement 05:25
• 20 Britten: String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94: II. Ostinato. Very Fast 03:08
• 21 Britten: String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94: III. Solo. Very Calm 05:37
• 22 Britten: String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94: IV. Burlesque. Fast 02:17
• 23 Britten: String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94: V. Recitative & Passacaglia. Slow 09:48
• Simple Symphony, Op. 4 (Version for String Quartet):
• 24 Britten: Simple Symphony, Op. 4 (Version for String Quartet): I. Boisterous Bourrée 02:56
• 25 Britten: Simple Symphony, Op. 4 (Version for String Quartet): II. Playful Pizzicato 03:13
• 26 Britten: Simple Symphony, Op. 4 (Version for String Quartet): III. Sentimental Sarabande 06:43
• 27 Britten: Simple Symphony, Op. 4 (Version for String Quartet): IV. Frolicsome Finale 03:10
• Rhapsody for String Quartet:
• 28 Britten: Rhapsody for String Quartet 07:42
• Quartettino:
• 29 Britten: Quartettino: I. Andante 06:21
• 30 Britten: Quartettino: II. Poco adagio ma con moto 06:35
• 31 Britten: Quartettino: III. Allegro molto vivace 03:40
• Phantasy in F Minor for String Quintet:
• 32 Britten: Phantasy in F Minor for String Quintet 11:18
• String Quartet in F Major:
• 33 Britten: String Quartet in F Major: I. Allegro vivace e con brio 08:42
• 34 Britten: String Quartet in F Major: II. Andante 02:58
• 35 Britten: String Quartet in F Major: III. Allegro vivace 04:26
• 36 Britten: String Quartet in F Major: IV. Allegro molto 06:48
• Total Runtime 03:21:57

Info for Britten: The Music for String Quartet

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.

Emperor String Quartet

Emperor String Quartet
was formed in 1992 and quickly became established as one of the leading ensembles in the UK. The quartet has played at all of the major concert halls and festivals in the UK and, on making its Edinburgh Festival début in 1994, was instantly reinvited. In 1995 an international career was launched, as the quartet won First Prize, Mozart Prize and Contemporary Music Prize at the prestigious Evian/Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition, and invitations to festivals such as the Prague Spring, Radio France/Montpellier, Evian, Martinů Festival (Czech Republic), Flanders, Kuhmo (Finland) and Mostly Mozart (New York City) followed. The quartet has toured throughout Europe and North America, and, for the British Council, in Nigeria and Ecuador. With a wide-ranging repertoire, the Emperor Quartet has taken part in Haydn and Beethoven cycles in London, Edinburgh and New York but has also performed Xenakis, Harrison Birtwistle and Ligeti in major contemporary concert series, and has premièred numerous works by talented composers such as Ian Wilson, Rebecca Saunders, James MacMillan, John Woolrich and Philip Cashian. The quartet has broadcast for radio and television in a number of European countries and in the USA. For the BBC it has made studio recordings as well as live broadcasts since 1993. It appears on the soundtracks to the films There Will Be Blood (2008) and Norwegian Wood (2010) which both feature scores by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood. CD recordings by the quartet have met with great acclaim internationally, including a Grammy nomination.

Booklet for Britten: The Music for String Quartet