Takács Quartet - Britten: String Quartets Nos. 1, 2 & 3 (2013) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. Britten: String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25: I. Andante sostenuto – Allegro vivo
02. Britten: String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25: II. Allegretto con slancio
03. Britten: String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25: III. Andante calmo
04. Britten: String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25: IV. Molto vivace
05. Britten: String Quartet No. 2 in C Major, Op. 36: I. Allegro calmo senza rigore
06. Britten: String Quartet No. 2 in C Major, Op. 36: II. Vivace
07. Britten: String Quartet No. 2 in C Major, Op. 36: III. Chacony. Sostenuto
08. Britten: String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94: I. Duets. With Moderate Movement
09. Britten: String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94: II. Ostinato. Very Fast
10. Britten: String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94: III. Solo. Very Calm
11. Britten: String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94: IV. Burlesque. Fast, con fuoco
12. Britten: String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94: V. Recit. and Passacaglia (La Serenissima). Slow

‘Arguably the greatest string quartet before the public today’ (The Sunday Times), the Takács Quartet have recorded much of the great Classical and Romantic quartet repertoire during their fruitful career. Now they turn to three masterpieces of the twentieth century.

The three quartets span the composer’s life, the first written in America and the second written at the height of Britten’s fame after the premiere of Peter Grimes. It was written to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Purcell’s death—a composer who was a lifetime inspiration to Britten—and the last movement is cast in the form of a huge Chacony. The third Quartet was written at the end of Britten’s life and refers specifically to his last opera, Death in Venice. Peter Pears described this haunting work as being ‘of a profound beauty more touching than anything else, radiant, wise, new, mysterious—overwhelming’.

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