The Vanbrugh Quartet - Caethrar: Contemporary Irish String Quartets

Thursday 1st December 1994
The Vanbrugh Quartet - Caethrar: Contemporary Irish String Quartets

STYLE: Classical
RATING 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 19467-
LABEL: Chandos 9295
FORMAT: CD Album

Reviewed by John Irvine

Reviewers' ears tend to become a little jaded from hearing too much music. We long for an exciting new disc to come along which will surprise us, startle us, dazzle us. This is such a disc. Ceathrar means foursome or quartet in Gaelic, an apt title for four contemporary Irish string quartets by four living composers, John Kinsella, Walter Beckett, Brian Boydell and Ian Wilson, who was featured in CR20's Living Composers Society. Each work is recorded here for the first time and by the Vanbrugh Quartet, one of Ireland's leading quartets, who are no strangers to mainland UK audiences. The four pieces are quite diverse. Kinsella's "Quartet No 3" is a deep, dark and turbulent affair reflecting the composer's state of mind at the time of writing. Boydell's "Quartet No 2" displays great charm, quoting from a diverse range of sources and styles from the renaissance down to the present day. Beckett's "Quartet No 1" is quite wonderful and almost Edwardian in character, suggesting a portrait of a world long since passed away. Without a doubt, however, it is Ian Wilson's "Winter's Edge" which is the highlight of the disc, a stunning new work from one of the most dynamic and successful of the younger generation of Irish composers. "Winter's Edge" is an expression of aspects of the life of St Paul - it is not a portrait of him nor a depiction of events in his life. Based on Paul's last letter to Timothy, the piece explores the emotional struggle between the certain death that faced Paul in this life and the certain hope of heaven. The music is at times violent, at times contemplative, but leaves us with an aching and a longing for much more than this world has to offer, as the last note dies away. This is most certainly one of the finest collections I have ever heard. It is an exciting release given the new talent featured here, and it is a surprising release - it is contemporary classical music, but it is also melodic, emotive, relevant and accessible all at once. A disc I have been unable to stop listening to. Highly recommended and richly deserving of a full house.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.

Be the first to comment on this article

We welcome your opinions but libellous and abusive comments are not allowed.












We are committed to protecting your privacy. By clicking 'Send comment' you consent to Cross Rhythms storing and processing your personal data. For more information about how we care for your data please see our privacy policy.