Matthews / Kreutzer Qrt - Comp STR QRTS Vol. 3 - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

The American critic Robert Reilly described the music on Volume One of this cycle of the complete string quartets of David Matthews (b. 1943) as 'some of the most concentrated, penetrating writing for this medium in the past 30 years or more. It is musical thinking of the highest order and quartet writing in the great tradition of Beethoven, Bartok, Britten, and Tippett'. The three works in this sixth volume of Matthews' complete string quartets cover a quarter of a century but share the same basic features, not least a mastery of counterpoint, an impassioned lyricism, a sublimated hint of folksong and occasionally a sly sense of humour, all deployed to touch something essential in the listener. Matthews begins his booklet note with this by saluting 'my now nearly 30-year relationship with the Kreutzer Quartet, which has been as invaluable to me as Shostakovich's with the Beethoven Quartet, or Beethoven's with the Schuppanzigh Quartet'.

G.P. Telemann - Twelve Fantasie for Flute [COMPACT DISCS] date 06/30/2009

Edward Cowie is one of the most individual and notable voices in contemporary music - which he sees as both conscious and unconscious sensitivity to sound. Highly inspired by Nature and our world, he works with sound, color, order and disorder, shape, pattern and form which he sees a part of a grand unification of sensual input. As an acclaimed and successful visual artist, he creates drawings to visualize his subject matter before composing. His music is not however 'filmic' or directly impressionistic but draws from the essence of nature, wildlife and the seasons to create his unique soundworld. The Kreutzer Quartet is one of the most accomplished and creative ensembles in the UK and is acclaimed for it's adventurous programming of both the music of our time and the great quartet heritage of the past. It has been the recipient of works from many of today's pre-eminent composers, and has performed around Europe as well as at it's 'home base' of Wilton's Music Hall in London. The quartet has recorded a substantial number of albums for Metier as well as Chandos, Naxos, NMC, Toccata and several other labels.