Unbeatable Britten
There is still so much to admire in this stunning set of chamber works from the Britten Quartet
Britten
String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 25; String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94;
Simple Symphony, Op. 4
Britten Quartet
Alto ALC1441 (1989) 77:00 mins
The Britten Quartet was a musical force of nature, whose members (Andrew Shulman, Keith Pascoe, Peter Manning and Peter Lale) were all distinguished orchestral section leaders. During its ten years of existence (from the mid-1980s-90s), this crack ensemble produced a series of outstanding recordings for Collins Classics, Hyperion and EMI that won universal praise. And little wonder.
They produced an expansive, rounded sonority that created the impression that more than four players were involved, and tantalisingly combined soloistic flair with flawless tonal integration.
Britten’s quartets are easy to admire, but are often played as though they are fascinating objets d’art rather than flesh-and-blood emotional utterances. This is where the Britten Quartet comes into its own with an unbeatable combination of sonic radiance and searing interpretative flair.
Stunningly recorded in the Snape Maltings, the youthful exuberance and playful reappropriations of the Simple Symphony comes leaping off the page. No less striking is the way the quartet’s members bring the Grimes-waiting-in-the-wings figurations of the First Quartet captivatingly to life, yet it is the vein of rich humanity they uncover in the elusive Third Quartet that really sets the seal on this classic reissue. ★★★★★