This recording of Stanford's string quartets was supported by The Stanford Society and the Durham University Music Department.
Critical Reception
George Bernard Shaw, a noted critic of Brahms, praised Stanford's String Quartet in A minor, Op. 45, as a "genuine piece of absolute music, alive, with feeling from beginning to end."
Recording & Production
Stanford's String Quartet No. 6 in A minor, Op. 122, featured on this album, is a first recording.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Stanford considered the string quartet a great test of a composer's ability, which may be why he delayed composing in the form until he was nearly 40.
Performer Biography
The Dante Quartet, the performers on this album, was founded by Krysia Osostowicz and has received numerous awards, including the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Chamber Music.
Composer Biography
Charles Villiers Stanford, the composer, wrote his String Quartet No. 1 and No. 2 during a family holiday in Llandudno, North Wales, in 1891.
Compositional Technique
Stanford's quartet style is described as more athletic and vivacious than Brahms's, with an affinity for more transparent textures.
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