Stanford: String Quartets Nos. 5 & 8 (World Premiere Recordings) Dante Quartet

• Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924): String Quartet No. 5 in B-Flat Major, Op. 104:
• 1I. Allegro moderato09:09
• 2II. Intermezzo - Allegretto (Sempre molto teneramente)05:53
• 3III. Adagio pesante10:52
• 4IV. Allegro moderato08:57
• Joseph Joachim (1831-1907):
• 53 Stücke, Op. 2: No. 1. Romanze04:29
• Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924):
• 6I. Allegro moderato07:50
• 7II. Allegretto04:45
• 8III. Canzona - Adagio07:15
• 9IV. Finale - Allegro07:45
• Total Runtime01:06:55

Info for Stanford: String Quartets Nos. 5 & 8 (World Premiere Recordings)

This month's SOMM release signals the start of a significant new series of String Quartets which, quite unbelievably, have never been recorded before (apart from Nos 1 and 2), and these are the Eight Quartets by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. This first disc, recorded for SOMM by the Dante Quartet, one of Britain's finest ensembles, contains Quartets Nos 5 and 8 and on the evidence of this first disc, they deserve to gain their rightful place among the great quartets of the early 20th century. They are a major body of work written between 1891 and 1921 and have rarely been performed, even though they are an eloquent witness of Stanford's undoubted ability as a composer of chamber music. Stanford invested a lot of his creative powers in his eight string quartets which are all 'big-boned' intellectual works, yet full of vibrantly appealing melodies, structural invention and variety, and, typical of Stanford, they reveal a consummate understanding of the idiom. With the exception of Robert Simpson, no other British composer has devoted so much effort to the quartet idiom, yet Stanford's works still remain thoroughly neglected. Much of this is down to the unavailability of performing materials since four of the quartets, Nos 4, 6, 7 and 8 are still unpublished and require editorial work for performance and recording. SOMM is grateful to Professor Jeremy Dibble for his editorial work and for being the guiding light in the recording of this first disc. Stanford wrote the 5th Quartet in the memory of his friend and mentor, the violinist Joseph Joachim who died in 1907. In this Quartet Stanford included his own personal tribute in each of the four movements, a motto 'quotation' from the opening bars of Joachim's Romance Op. 2 No. 1 for Violin and Piano which we have included in this recording for its strong connection to Quartet No. 5. Quartet No. 8 was written late in Stanford's life and for all its light-hearted gestures it is a dark, introspective work in a minor key. Yet it shows a high level of invention typical of Stanford's romantic style and clean classical thinking.

„Two excellent first recordings launch auspiciously a compete cycle of Stanford's string quartets.“ (MusicWeb International)

„Amazing to think that music of such palpable quality has suffered neglect for so long. The Fifth of Stanford's eight string quartets strikes me as a genuine find. Written in November 1907 in response to news of the death three months previously of Joseph Joachim (an incredibly supportive friend and colleague to the composer), the coda of each of its four movements subtly references the opening phrase of Joachim's early Romance for violin and piano (also included here). The Adagio pesante slow movement comprises a powerful threnody in the remote key of F sharp minor (the work's home tonality is B flat major), and the mood of serene acceptance distilled in the finale's closing pages is haunting indeed. The members of the Dante Quartet lend this rewarding offering wholly committed advocacy, as they do the Eighth Quartet. Completed on 25 June 1919, this almost certainly had to wait until March 1968 for its world premiere (in a BBC broadcast). Another consummately crafted, tautly argued affair, it, too, can boast much nourishing and supremely touching invention. A most enterprising and thoroughly likeable release, this, truthfully engineered, and well worth tracking down.“ (Classical Ear)

Krysia Osostowicz, violin
Oscar Perks, violin
Yuko Inoue, viola
Richard Jenkinson, cello

The Dante Quartet
Winner of the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Award for chamber music in 2007 and a BBC Music Magazine Award in 2009, the Dante Quartet is one of Britain’s finest ensembles. Founded in 1995, the quartet chose Dante’s name to reflect the idea of a great journey. Renowned for its imaginative programming and emotionally charged performances, the Dante Quartet appears at the major UK festivals and music societies, broadcasts on Radio 3 and has also toured France, Germany, Spain, Holland, Poland, Finland and Japan. The quartet has made four highly acclaimed recordings for Hyperion, and for seven years held a residency at King’s College Cambridge. Devoted to the core classics – including the complete Beethoven Quartet cycle – the Dante Quartet equally enjoys bringing to light new or neglected repertoire. Committed also to teaching, the Dante Quartet gives master classes in the UK and runs a high-level chamber music course in the South of France. The quartet has its own annual Dante Summer a Festival in the Tamar Valley, in which they create new musical projects and collaborations, attracting young people to chamber music and building up an enthusiastic audience in intimate and beautiful surroundings.

Booklet for Stanford: String Quartets Nos. 5 & 8 (World Premiere Recordings)