Benjamin Britten's String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94, was completed in Venice in November 1975, and its form is a homage to the arc-shaped constructions found in Béla Bartók's string quartets.
Notable Performances
The premiere of Benjamin Britten's Third String Quartet took place on December 19, 1976, at Snape Maltings in Aldeburgh, but without the composer, who had died two weeks prior.
Recording & Production
This recording of Benjamin Britten's Third String Quartet was made on May 21, 1977, just a few months after the composer's death and the work's premiere.
Recording & Production
The Schwetzingen Festival, where this recording was made, became the largest classical radio festival in the world, with approximately 550 broadcasts annually across all continents.
Composition History
Benjamin Britten's Third String Quartet pays homage to Dmitri Shostakovich, who had died the previous year and, like Britten, suffered from a heart condition.
Composer Biography
Benjamin Britten dedicated his Third String Quartet to Hans Keller, a musicologist and author.
Recording & Production
Every musical event at the Schwetzingen Festival has been recorded and broadcast since its inception in 1952, thanks to its founding by Süddeutscher Rundfunk and continuation by Südwestrundfunk.
