York Bowen's
music is now getting the attention it deserves. Dutton have helped promote
his
cause with several excellent releases, and Stephen Hough has recorded a CD
of the composer's piano music for Hyperion which garnered positive reviews.
On offer here are three world premiere recordings of his chamber music - two
string quartets, and a Phantasy Quintet for bass clarinet and string
quartet. Recorded in 2001, these recordings first appeared on a British
Music Society CD (
BMS426CD) . It is to be hoped that this Naxos release will bring
these delightful and compelling works to a wider audience.
Having composed three string quartets, only two have survived. The String
Quartet No.2 in D minor Op.41 was published in 1922 and dedicated to the
Philharmonic Quartet (1915-24), who boasted Eugene Goossens as second
violin. It is in three movements and, like the Third Quartet, has a central
lento book-ended by two more spirited movements. The opening
Allegro assai is of an extrovert character launching the work with
an ebullient charm. This leads into a more wistful, and later dramatic
section. What is evident is that Bowen had a great gift for melody, and the
work displays a confidence and skill in string writing. The slow movement
opens with a melancholic theme ushered in on the cello. This leads into a
more comforting, lyrical section. A sprightly finale, with pizzicato
accompaniment showcases some imaginative string writing, and the quartet
ends upbeat.
The Third Quartet was completed in 1919 and remained unpublished in the
composer's lifetime. There is no record of its first performance. Whereas
the Op. 41 is of an extrovert character, the Op.46(b) is more reserved,
inward looking and reluctant to show its hand as readily. It is underpinned
by a degree of self-absorption. All this is evident in the lyrical first
movement, which is stamped with a very English fingerprint. The slow
movement, again marked
lento like its predecessor is tinged with
melancholy and is of a dark and brooding disposition. All is assuaged at the
end of the movement, where peace, tranquillity and rest are finally found.
In the finale, Bowen again features pizzicato prominently, yet despite the
energy, circumspection prevails.
The highlight of the disc for me is the Phantasy Quintet for Bass Clarinet
and String Quartet Op.93. An unusual combination, the bass clarinet is
employed to great effect and beautifully realized by Timothy Lines, who
plays with a lyrical sense of line and richness of tone. Composed around
1932, it was still unpublished, apparently, at the time of the recording,
and there had been only two performances prior to that. It is cast in one
continuous 14 minute movement, but broken into sections, moving along
through a narrative of changing tempi and moods. The bass clarinet sustains
a virtuosic profile throughout. The work shows a compositional wealth of
resourcefulness, invention and flair. Beginning in sombre vein, some of it
sounds quite ghostly and sinister. Bowen ratchets up the tempo in the middle
section, but the work ends as it began in quiet composure.
The performances are in first-class sound quality, set in a warm and
sympathetic acoustic. Balance between individual instruments could not have
been bettered. The Archaeus Quartet have done much to champion lesser known
composers with recordings of music by
Minna Keal,
Susan Spain-Dunk (Lorelt LNT114) and
Leonard Salzedo amongst others. This is a must for chamber music
lovers.
Stephen Greenbank
York Bowen resource page (with
review index)
