Presented by Leo Samama.
From Charles Villiers Stanford’s eight string quartets, the Fifth Quartet, in B-flat major. Opus 104, may be the most personal. Not least because it is a dedication to the violist and friend of Stanford Joseph Joachim, who passed away shortly before the completion in 1907. That is why it says “In memoriam Joseph Joachim” above the score.
The contrast with Frank Bridge’s Phantasy Quartet from 1905, could not be bigger. It was written for a competition, organised by the businessman Walter Wilson Cobett with the aim of reviving the old English fantasies of around 1600. The task was therefore a short one-piece work based on clear motifs, as was the custom in Elizabethan times. Bridge’s First String Quartet from 1906 was also written for a competition, one in Bologna. This explains the nickname.
Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924) – Strijng Quartet no.5, in B-flat major, opus 104 (1907)
(1) Allegro moderato, (2) Intermezzo – Allegretto (sempre molto teneramente),
(3) Adagio pesante, (4) Allegro moderato
Performed by: Dante Quartet
CD: SOMM Recordings
Frank Bridge (1879-1941) – Phantasy Quartet in F minor (1905)
(1) Allegro moderato, (2) Andante moderato, (3) Allegro ma non troppo
Performed by: Maggini Quartet
CD: Naxos
Frank Bridge (1879-1941) – String Quartet no. 1, in E minor “Bologna” (1906)
(1) Adagio – Allegro appassionato
Performed by: Maggini Quartet
CD: Naxos
