Buxton Orr: Chamber Music for Strings
The music of Buxton Orr, born in Glasgow in 1924, was hardly over-exposed during his lifetime but has encountered even more neglect since his death in 1997. This CD takes a step in the right direction, presenting Orr's mildly modernist, elegant and honest music in first recordings of four of his chamber works for strings.
Beethoven String Trio of London, string trio
Pavlo Beznosiuk, violin
Andrew Roberts, violin
Jeremy Williams, viola
Richard Tunnicliffe, cello
Maya Homburger, baroque violin
Barry Guy, double-bass
Listen To This Recording:
-
String Quartet No. 1, Refrains IV (1977)
- I Arditamente (maestoso) –
- II Allegro lirico –
- Adagio –
- III Solenne –
- La croma subito più mosso (Molto vivace) –
- IV Liberamente (quasi cadenza) –
- Lento –
- V Allegro energico –
- Tempo l’istesso
- I Quasi improvisando
- II Andante con moto
- III Subito allegro ritmico
- I Adagio
- II Andante Resoluto
- III Allegro vivace
- I Con moto
- II Adagio
- III Vivace
- IV Tema con variazioni: Larghetto con rubato
Duo for Baroque Violin and String Bass (1994)
String Trio (1996)
String Quartet No. 2 (1985)
Gary Higginson :
‘All of the performances are passionate, committed and of the highest quality as is the recording which does not get between the performers and the listeners. […]
Well done Toccata for picking up these most valuable pieces.’
—Gary Higginson, MusicWeb International
Fanfare Magazine :
‘This [Adagio of the first quartet] contains some of the most memorable music on the disc, impeccably played by a slightly augmented String Trio of London.The performers are able to follow the sometimes quixotic ebb and flow of the musical argument with ease. […] There is a clearly expert hand at work, one that can convey exactly what it means without unnecessary gesture. […] Outbursts are impassioned in the extreme. All credit to the present players for maintaining the tension throughout. […] This is a tremendous performance, beautifully lithe and supple, and responsive to the music’s ever-changing needs, not least hushed expressiveness.
The playing here [Duo for Baroque Violin and String Bass]is astonishing, not least in the agility of bassist Barry Guy. […] throughout [the String trio] the Beethoven String Trio of London convey the impression of chamber music performance at its finest, lovingly finding expressive strength in the continuously shifting textures and rhythms.’
—Colin Clarke, Fanfare Magazine September/October 2013