BRITTEN

 

String Quartet No.1 in D Op.25

String Quartet No.2 in C Op.36

String Quartet No.3 Op.94

Three Divertimenti for String Quartet (1936, published 1983)

 

Belcea Quartet

 

The Belcea Quartet’s first CD for EMI, featuring quartets by Debussy, Ravel and Dutilleux, was released on the Debut Series in Autumn 2000. Reviews of this CD were full of praise: ‘Fabulous’ (Classic FM), ‘outstanding’ (The Guardian), ‘impressed by the freshness and urgency of their playing’ (BBC Music Magazine). The disc also won a coveted Gramophone Award in October 2001.

 

Quartet in residence at London’s Wigmore Hall and Oxford’s Jacqueline du Pré Room, the Belcea Quartet travel all over the world and are rapidly building a reputation as one of the finest string ensembles in the world.

 

Britten's string quartets, despite the seeming lack of interest from non-British ensembles, have been lucky on disc, with few unsatisfactory recordings. The Belcea Quartet thus joins such distinguished predecessors in the catalogue as the Amadeus (DG), Sorrel (Chandos), Maggini (Naxos), Brodsky (Channel), Endellion (EMI) and Britten (Collins), though the last two are currently hard to find. But in many ways the newcomer surpasses these in the freshness, pointedness and involvement of the playing. The Belcea brings a rare poignancy to the valedictory Third, with its music reworking ideas from the opera Death in Venice. Yet the players also respond cogently to the youthful vigour of the First and Second, the latter's long closing Chacony having an absorbing sense of journeying. What makes these performances particularly stand out is the individuality of the solo playing - and Britten makes substantial demands of the each of the four musicians. In this repertoire, the parts need to be greater than the whole.

Matthew Rye, Telegraph

 

Not heard nearly often enough in the concert hall, Benjamin Britten’s music for string quartet has fared quite well on disc down the years (EMI already has a fine set from the Endellion Quartet from 1987 in its catalogue). Here come the superb Belcea Quartet, previous Gramophone Award-winners, and one of the most impressive young ensembles around. This music spans Britten’s career from 1936 to 1975 and takes us on a powerful and rewarding journey. Strongly recommended.

Gramophone

 

EMI 5579682