A COMPOSER CELEBRATES PRECISELY and THREE LITTLE KNOWN QUATUORS UNJUSTLY

Britten wrote three quartets, at important moments in the evolution of his work. Chamber music in general and in particular quartet is a genre that he frequented little (at least in appearance, as some of his works, including operas, involve actual chamber groups and the writing partner), so that these three quartets are underrated aspect of his work. This disc is very welcome.

After taking into account natural evolution of things, the overall shape of the quartets Haydn remains close enough to the model, with three (2), four (1) or five (3) movements, as in general in Schoenberg, Bartók or Milhaud (with the exception of 1 of the first and 3 second) then quun Berg, Webern, Shostakovich was a show (apparently) more adventurous. The internal shape of the movements also retains something of the mind classical or baroque, while differentiating sen or sometimes by the originality and evolve accordingly (and this from the 1st movement of 1st quartet).

First Quartet (1941) op. 25

This quartet is one of the works which close the initial creation Britten. She nest certainly not free of banalities or even blunders, but gave rise to leaders such as oeuvres Our hunting fathers (1936 op.8) Illuminations (1939, op.18) or the same quartet sil négale not next two. It was composed in the USA to order dElisabeth Sprague Coolidge (who had ordered the 5th particular quartet Bartok and Schoenberg 4 °) and benefited from the kind advice of Aaron Copland.

The first movement is very original and takes inspiration from certain forms of Beethoven sonata allegro type with introduction, reinjected in the course of the sonata (see sonatas 4pathétique or Storm). Here we have a very mixed introduction, with violins gliding slowly and serenely in Laigu and most disturbing pizzicato in the bass. The exhibition starts sonata rather violent and angry, in powerful contrast (though pizzicato have prepared the mood), but soon we will see a recovery in the introduction that turns out well integrated into dexposition material and therefore the deployment of sonata form, while Beethoven was operating rather by contrast interpolating eroded versions of its introductions at crucial points of the form.

The second uses a form of scherzo which certainly belongs to everyone but is very popular with Russian (in very different styles Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich), which is found in some pages lamorce Beethoven: a steady pulse (usually quaver) not too strong, which is superimposed powerful and irregular cells. These cells are tightened in Britten, without masking the regular pulsation with which they synergize.
The third movement is generously and originally melodic: the themes and sentrecroisent cells, with apparent development is supported by a strong fancy architecture. It suggests the atmosphere of certain scenes upcoming Peter Grimes.

The finish is very Haydn, sweeping with humor and stylistic vivacity all shadows and shadows of the quartet.

Second Quartet (1945) op. 36

Written just after the end of the war, and although Britten can already boast to have written a number of quality oeuvres (the first quartet), this second quartet opens with dignity what will be for some thirty years the great period of the composer marked the same year by an indisputable and undisputed leader Doeuvre, opera Peter Grimes created June 7, 1945.
The first movement seems to refuse making the great string quartet style favoring a melodic writing, antiphonal or homophonic. Given this, the writing of Britten is extremely flexible, moving, mercurial, like that of Mozart. From this point of view, this movement could suggest lop 5/1 Webern obviously seen in a broader perspective and tonal compression without its formal, but also to certain pages of Shostakovich with a similar very moving recount.

The second movement, rather short and fast, seems responsible for all the violence contained on edge which is that men and raging elements in the contemporary Peter Grimes.

The third movement, by far the longest of the quartet, is a chaconne free, so dhommage Purcell and its predecessors (and the last movement of the third quartet is a Passacaglia, and there is a famous Passacaglia in contemporary opera Peter Grimes ). It is a slow movement that ends the quartet, as in the following lyrical Berg or 6 ° Bartók quartet. In fact, it draws a final arch form, the center is more lively and dense than the ends. Much of the melodic and thematic material is freely and subtly connected the two previous movements.

Third Quartet (1975) op. 94

Britten was already in very poor health WHEN IT finished this work in Venice in late 1975, a year before his death, after his last opera, Death in Venice, with which it has certain affinities. It took him a help to try it on the piano, put a net one can quadmirer deeply this determination to create the ultimate lheure up.

LOEUVRE consists of five parts of times - and one might say of unequal weight and articulating the overall shape of the oeuvre. Though clearly stated, the tone is more quusuellement floating in Britten.

The first movement, duets, appears at first listen, as a disorder and fleeing duo (like dEschenbach thoughts in Death in Venice) between violin and viola, sporadically accompanied by other instruments. The tone is unstable. Consistency densemble real, remains veiled.

The second movement is an ostinato made very sound tear that gradually charge more stability until an unexpected tonal termination (G major)

The third movement, entitled Solo, very quiet, evokes the mood a bit strange and rarefied the latest way Beethoven and Shostakovich. It is in essentials dune made high-pitched melody and delicate arpeggios, between which are slipping stealth counterpoints.

This is another Shostakovich, that of sardonic scherzo and squeaky quévoque the fourth movement Burlesque, as indeed the rhythmic violence Bartók.

The fifth and final movement recitative and passacaglia is the longest chamber music movement that Britten ever wrote. It seems to summarize all lady states that have passed through the last period of Britten's Death in Venice in particular. Completed in Venice, it is subtitled serenissima. It evokes First of the first movement and the tonal instability. Then sinstalle the Passacaglia, filled with memories of Death in Venice, reordered in the spirit of the form, including the critical point of the opera I love you. Britten's own admission, the theme of the Passacaglia evokes the atmosphere of the Venetian bells, sometimes highlighted by recessed moments of musical flow. The movement focuses on opera as key of E yet, the movement ends on a re pedal ultimate scale out 'anunswered question "asked by Britten.

CONCLUSION

Chamber music is not by far the best known part of the oeuvre of Britten. It nen not occupy much of the composer in this very British are very attracted to the writing vocal soloist or charale. The dissimilarity of the two techniques décriture especially in the case of the string quartet, known so demanding does not guarantee that the author of chefs d'oeuvres inconstatables in the vocal genre deploys the same excellence in chamber music despite his attraction to small ensembles, y included in the operas. The three quartets here recorded show that the multifaceted genius of Britten has endowed us with three excellent quartets, each with its specificity.

Of course, one can not honestly put them in the same rank as the highest of its kind Doeuvre leaders in the twentieth century, but it can not be minimized either. They are works dune undeniable originality, beautiful dune strength décriture. It would be a pity the prestigious Britten oeuvres best known, most ambitious and spectacular make their shadow. Britten's genius was multifaceted and these quartets are a worthy event.

The members of the quartet TAKACS lont fully understood. They deliver us a very relevant reading, as attentive to details of writing Quà densemble architecture perfectly reflecting that indefinable something quest personality and fragrance of Benjamin Britten's works.