COMPOSERS: Brian Boydell,Ian Wilson,John Kinsella,Walter Beckett
LABELS: Chandos
WORKS: Music by John Kinsella, Ian Wilson, Walter Beckett & Brian Boydell
PERFORMER: Vanbrugh Quartet
CATALOGUE NO: CHAN 9295 DDD
Nothing in Kinsella’s Third Quartet should disconcert anyone unfazed by the quartets of Britten or Tippett, and, apart from the periodic shock tactics, nor should Wilson’s impeccably crafted and imaginative piece. Beckett goes for long, flowing melodies, conservative in idiom, almost folksy in places. Boydell’s Quartet No. 2, dating from 1959, is the earliest work on the disc, incorporating medieval inflexions and plenty of passion. This is a fascinating programme, beautifully played and recorded. Well worth considering. Wadham Sutton