Britten's Three Divertimenti were initially met with "sniggers and pretty cold silence" at their 1936 premiere, leading the sensitive composer to withdraw them until after his death.
Composition History
Britten's Second String Quartet was composed in 1945 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the death of Henry Purcell, an English Baroque composer whom Britten admired.
Composer Biography
Benjamin Britten began composing string quartets as a boy, showing early competence in the form.
Composition History
Britten's early works, the Rhapsody (1929) and Quartettino (1930), were influenced by his teacher Frank Bridge and adopted an advanced, almost atonal musical language.
Composition History
The First String Quartet was commissioned in 1941 by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, an American patron of music, while Britten was in California.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded at Wyastone Concert Hall, Monmouth, between July 22-26, 2013, with Ian Watson as producer and Neil Hutchinson as audio engineer.
Composition History
The Third String Quartet, almost Britten's last completed work, was written in 1975 after a debilitating heart operation and is considered the culmination of his post-surgery music.
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Britten: String Quartets - Three Divertimenti
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Britten: String Quartets Nos. 1 and 2 / Three Divertimenti
