The first String Quartet (1919-22) is presented here in its original, uncut version, which is a premiere recording.
Compositional Technique
The first String Quartet's final movement is a huge Fugue, reminiscent of Beethoven's Große Fuge in its scale, internal contrasts, and extreme demands on the string players.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Walton described his first String Quartet as being "full of undigested Bartók and Schoenberg," reflecting his exposure to modernist composers through an Oxford library.
Performer Biography
The Doric String Quartet, the performers on this album, won First Prize in the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in Japan in 2008.
Composition History
Sir William Walton's two string quartets were written about 25 years apart, with the first begun in his teens and the second completed in his mid-40s.
Recording & Production
This recording was made at Potton Hall in Dunwich, Suffolk, between July 14 and 16, 2010.
Composition History
Walton struggled with the composition of his second String Quartet (1944-47), writing to his assistant that he was in a "suicidal struggle with four strings."
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