Charles Owen - Dove: On the streets & in the sky - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

The Sacconi Quartet join forces again with celebrated composer Jonathan Dove for the latest instalment of their many fruitful collaborations and journeys. The String Quartet no 2 On the Streets and in the sky was written during the recent pandemic and was commissioned for the Sacconi Quartet to celebrate their 20th anniversary. Between Friends, is a world premiere recording, and a memorial to Graeme Mitchison (1944-2018), a multi-disciplined scientist, intrepid adventurer, cyclist, paraglider, mountaineer and a possessor of two pianos on which he and Dove would play together for over forty years. Who Wrote the Book of Love? Is an extended song cycle written for baritone Philippe Sly who performs the work here. Vanishing Gold is a compact five-minute piece written for the 40th anniversary of the Endellion Quartet, who then retired. Dove's previous with the Sacconi Quartet on Signum InchIn DamascusInch was awarded Gramophone Recording of the Month and Presto's Editor's Choice in 2017. ? The beauty of the piece, for tenor and string quartet, is it's restraint. It doesn't sensationalise, get maudlin, moralise or politicise. The words are direct and the music respects that. The performance does, too focused playing from the Sacconi Quartet and lucid, unswerving narrative from tenor Mark Padmore - The Guardian Album Tracks 1. On the streets and in the sky for string quartet~I. Driving 2. On the streets and in the sky for string quartet~II. Lively 3. On the streets and in the sky for string quartet~III. Very gently moving 4. Between Friends for two pianos~Conversation 1 Gently moving - Gradually moving forward - Energetic 5. Between Friends for two pianos~Conversation 2 Dancing 6. Between Friends for two pianos~Conversation 3 Spacious 7. Between Friends for two pianos~Conversation 4 Lively and playful, with mischief 8. Who Wrote the Book of Love? f