John Ireland - String Quartets Nos. 1 and 2 / The Holy Boy

The English composer John Ireland drew his inspiration from his country’s heritage, its poetry and its landscapes. He emerged as a celebrated composer towards the end of World War I, having destroyed almost all of his student works, but not the two String Quartets featured on this disc. Both are modelled after the late quartets of Beethoven and Brahms. The Holy Boy, one of Ireland’s most popular works, was written on Christmas Day, 1913, and is here adapted for string quartet, one of several arrangements of the work by the composer.

Laurence Jackson, violin

David Angel, violin

Martin Outram, viola

Michal Kaznowski, cello

    String Quartet No. 1 in D minor

1.   I. Allegro 00:07:59

2.   II. Molto allegro 00:04:32

3.   III. Andante moderato 00:04:43

4.   IV. Finale: Vivace 00:05:03

    4 Preludes: No. 3. The Holy Boy (arr. string quartet)

5.   4 Preludes: No. 3. The Holy Boy (arr. string quartet) 00:03:18

    String Quartet No. 2 in C minor

6.   I. Allegro moderato 00:09:17

7.   II. Nocturne: Andante 00:07:24

8.   III. Scherzo: Presto 00:07:24

9.   IV. Poco allegro - Grazioso - Meno mosso - Allegretto - Allegretto semplice - L'istesso tempo - Vivace 00:10:11

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