Bainton has been in harness with Clifford
before now as you can see from MusicWeb’s
reviews of two Chandos CDs by Hubert
Culot, Rob
Barnett1, and Rob
Barnett2
Here Dutton replicate
that coupling with Bainton’s string
quartet pre-dating his move to Australia
in 1934 and Clifford’s written after
he had moved to the UK in 1930 to study
with RVW. He was later to become Alexander
Korda’s music director and work with
the wartime BBC. There is a certain
symmetry in their works being paired.
One was born in Australia and came to
live in the UK while the other was born
in the UK and emigrated to Australia.
Bainton’s story is
well documented on this site. His delightful
and extremely beautiful A major quartet
was written in Ruhleben camp outside
Berlin. This was after he had been interned
there when he had the misfortune to
be in Germany after war had been declared.
This lucidly scored work is full of
light and passion and is most transparently
scored in the style of Ravel. The subject
matter and treatment is handled with
wonderful down-light mastery. The euphoric
contains an unequivocal reminiscence
of Schumann’s Rhenish first movement
surging main theme. This is to return
in various forms in the third and fourth
movements. This deserves to stand alongside
the chamber works of Vaughan Williams
and Herbert Howells.
The name of Herbert
Howells from his Piano Quartet, Clarinet
Quintet and String Quartet In Gloucestershire
came to me again with Clifford’s 1935
quartet. This is once again delightful
music-making with themes lapping, gurgling
and flowing with pleasing fluency. Only
in the scherzo do we encounter a shadow
of folk-dance twee. The killing excesses
of smocks and preciosity are held at
bay with a propulsive Moeran-like treatment
at times while at others Clifford adopts
the manner of Grainger. Lilting tender
melancholy can be heard in the Lento
introduction to the finale but this
resolves into folksy energy.
Here are two lyrical
English quartets which carry none of
the equivocal harmony or expressionism
of Goossens or Bridge. Definitely for
enthusiasts of the chamber music of
Howells, Vaughan Williams, McEwen and
Moeran and further afield of Ravel,
Max d’Ollonne and Ropartz. The Locrian
play these works with every appearance
of total engagement and enjoyment. Not
to be missed.
Rob Barnett
see also
EDGAR
BAINTON (1880 - 1956) MUSICAL AND
SPIRITUAL TRAVELLER by Michael Jones
The
Edgar Bainton Society
Locrian Ensemble: (Rita Manning (violin);
Patrick Kiernan (violin); Morgan Goff (viola);
Justin Pearson (cello)) 
