The English Phantasy: The Bridge Quartet

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The Bridge Quartet approach these pieces with a sympethatic and insightful warmth, and confirm their ambassadorial credentials for British chamber music. A lovely, radiant CD. — Gramophone Magazine, March 2015

Release Date: 3rd Nov 2014
Catalogue No: EMRCD025
Label: EM Records
Length: 69 minutes

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Bridge: Phantasy Quartet in F Minor, H. 55

Work length11:11

$3.00

$3.85

The Bridge Quartet

Holst: Phantasy Quartet on British Folk Songs, H. 136

Work length10:29

$3.00

$3.85

The Bridge Quartet

Eugene Aynsley Goossens: Phantasy Quartet, Op.12

Work length11:23

$3.00

$3.85

The Bridge Quartet

Howells: Phantasy for String Quartet, Op. 25

Work length12:43

$3.00

$3.85

The Bridge Quartet

Holbrooke: String Quartet No.1 in D Minor, Op.17b "Fantasie"

Work length14:58

$3.00

$3.85

The Bridge Quartet

William Hurstone: Phantasy for String Quartet in A Minor

Work length8:35

$2.00

$2.60

The Bridge Quartet

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The Bridge Quartet's new release celebrates the rich variety of the Phantasy String Quartet, one of the forms most characteristic of the English Musical Renaissance of the early 20th Century, and a genre re-invigorated by Walter Wilson Cobbett. The disc comprises six 'Cobbett' phantasies, based upon the single-movement (but tripartite) 17th century Elizabethan viol 'Fantasia' model perfected by Henry Purcell, including three sparklingly carefree contributions from the very first competition in 1905 by William Hurlstone, Frank Bridge and Joseph Holbrooke. These are virtuoso scores from three confident young composers keen to impress with their knowledge and sometimes mischievously irreverent attitudes to 19th century 'Romantic' idioms. The remaining three, by Gustav Holst, Herbert Howells and Eugene Goossens, date from ten years later, composed during the Great War. Holst's Phantasy on (Four) English Folk Songs is beautiful and nostalgic Howells's prize-winning entry from 1918 is darkly-tinted with an austere modality and Goossens's contribution, dating from 1915, loosens the bonds of 19th century tonality and challenges the listener with more 20th century sonorities. Most of these works presented here are World Premiere recordings.

Reviews

March 2015

The Bridge Quartet approach these pieces with a sympethatic and insightful warmth, and confirm their ambassadorial credentials for British chamber music. A lovely, radiant CD.

The English Phantasy: The Bridge Quartet

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