Arnold Bax - String Quartets Nos- 1 and 2

Arnold BAX (1883-1953)

String Quartet No.1, in G Major

String Quartet No.2 in A Minor

Maggini Quartet

"An innocent and sun-dappled work, it comes as a surprise to hear that the First Quartet was written during the last year of the Great War. Its three movements bubble along smilingly or serenely, throwing off great tunes and harmonic teases with abandon. The Maggini's swoop and etch, dance and spin the music with every appearance of carefree ease. This is joyous, life-embracing music written in a sunny Dvorakian dazzle. You must hear this! The outer movements develop an authentic Wienerisch bustle and in the Rondo a spectral quality and (at 3.10 track 3) one of the loveliest tunes in all music. If you are not very careful (and why should you be) you will find yourself whistling the themes from the First Quartet.

The Second Quartet is at the other pole from the First. It is a work for Bax connoisseurs rather than those wanting to find a way into the Baxian heritage. Coeval with the Second Symphony it lacks that work's melodic treasury but shares its vertical complexity of line. It is by no means an ingratiating work and the contrast with the First Quartet is stark. I must not give the impression that it is without attraction but the complexity takes its toll and it does not speak with immediacy. Oddly enough it made me think of the music of Eugene Goossens especially his By the Tarn and First Quartet [...]

The liner notes are by Lewis Foreman so we are guaranteed readability, facts and opinions firmly founded on evidence.

One of last year's top ten classical discs. Roll on the Naxos/Maggini Third Quartet - a work of symphonic impact and scale."

"The Magginis beat more exalted competition when they won a coveted Gramophone Award last month for their recording of the Vaughan Williams quartets. Here they show the same winning qualities in two works by Sir Arnold Bax, a composer much better known for his opulent tone poems. The darkly troubled world of the quartets is brought full to life by these fine players."