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msv 28507 |
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NORTHERN LIGHTS The three composers featured on this CD are in themselves leading lights of the contemporary music scene in the UK, and their works (of which these are first recordings) very fine examples of the modern string quartet, all extremely accessible. |
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| playing time: 63.02 direct sale price: £12.00 audio sample: Judith Weir String Quartet - 1st movement (Serene) - opening |
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tracks: Judith Weir: Robert Saxton: |
review extracts: for full reviews click here | ||
| “The range of worthwhile issues on the Divine Art label continues to expand with this outstanding release of three relatively recent string quartets by British composers. The most important work here is that by Robert Saxton... utterly compelling in its strength and sheer passion. The performances, in the absence of scores, seem very fine and totally committed, and the recording quality is excellent. Very strongly recommended.” - Robert Matthew-Walker (Musical Opinion) | |||
| “John Casken's quartet stands out on an excellent disc...touch and timbre beautifully captured by the Kreutzer Quartet.” – Andy Hamilton (The Wire) | |||
“The Kreutzer Quartet's strong performances reveals [the three works' powerful individuality. Casken's quartet certainly adds up to an impressive whole, as does, in a very different way, Judith Weir's. Robert Saxton's quartet is perhaps a slightly tougher nut... at its heart is a darkly meditative slow movement. It has taken a long time for this release to reach the market, but it was worth the wait.” – Piers Burton-Page (International Record Review) |
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| “ Featuring the works of three composers that are leading lights in contemporary music, everything falls right into place on this set that explores fun, upbeat stuff that is dancing right on the edge of being party music in its own right. A set of debut recordings by a string quartet that takes things out of the drawing room quite nicely, this delightful ear opener is nothing less than a real treat .” – Chris Spector (MidWest Record) | |||
| “Recorded at the turn of the millennium, the Kreutzers respond brilliantly to all their music's mercurial demands.” «««« - Peter Palmer (Nottingham Evening Post) | |||
| “[Casken's Quartet is audience-friendly... I enjoyed it... a fine performance” – Peter Spaull (Liverpool Daily Post) | |||
| “The Kreutzer Quartet's triptych of British string quartets from the 1990s can be enjoyed as a single journey: cold, colder, coldest. The performance is strong” – Anna Picard (The Independent) | |||
| “There are some good helpful notes and the sound quality is first class. Well done to Metier for giving [these recordings] the oxygen of publicity” – Jonathan Woolf (Music Web) | |||