Matthew Taylor: String Quartets Nos. 5, 6 and 7
Matthew Taylor's sense of musical architecture — extending the symphonic tradition of Sibelius and Nielsen into the modern age — can be felt in his chamber music no less than in his orchestral output. Though his String Quartets Nos. 5, 6 and 7 were written in close succession, they are fundamentally different in design and feeling. Quartet No. 5 adopts a pacifying process as a volatile Allegro unfolds into a spacious fugue before easing into a delicate lullaby. The core of the Sixth Quartet is a Romanza which Taylor wrote for his wife on their wedding. And the Classical clarity of the Seventh Quartet pays tribute to Haydn and Mendelssohn, two composers whom Taylor much admires.
Dante String Quartet, string quartet
Allegri String Quartet, string quartet
Salieri String Quartet, string quartet
Listen To This Recording:
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String Quartet No. 5, Op. 35 (2007–8)
- I Allegro furioso –
- II Fuga: Largamente, Intensivo –
- III Lullaby: Adagio
- I Giubiloso
- II Romanza – Andante moderato –
- III Andante moderato –
- IV Finale: Bacchanale – Con spirito e riotoso
- I Allegretto comodo
- II Scherzo – Allegretto scorrevole
- III Adagio – Allegretto grazioso – Adagio – Allegretto grazioso
- IV Finale – Animato ma misterioso
String Quartet No. 6, Op. 36 (2006–8)
String Quartet No. 7, Op. 37 (2008–9)
MusicWeb International :
‘I don’t want to give the impression that the music is ‘easy’ or ‘comfortable’; it asks questions of the listener which are in some respects as demanding as those asked by the late Beethoven Quartets, but it does so in a way that isn’t simply avant-garde or difficult for the sake of being so.’
—Brian Wilson, MusicWeb International
The Classical Reviewer :
‘[String Quartet No. 5, Op. 35] …This terrific quartet has a natural organic progression and flow through its three movements and received an excellent performance from the Dante Quartet. [String Quartet No. 6, Op. 36] …This is a magnificent quartet that rewards with repeated listening. The Allegris couldn’t be better, serving the composer so well. …These wonderful quartets are given first rate performances by the respective players. The recordings are first class and there are excellent booklet notes by the composer.’
—Bruce Reader, The Classical Reviewer
MusicWeb International :
‘Matthew Taylor is a consummate string quartet composer. His music enshrines a personal voice that may reflect influences but has deeply absorbed them. It is fluidly constructed and generates its own sense of time and direction. It is marked by strong characterisation and genuine craft and it honours the past without being in any way dependent on it. […]
The Allegri and Dante may be better known, but the Salieri Quartet is equally responsive and flexible in Taylor’s music, and all three have been beautifully recorded. Admirers of this dextrous and valuable composer should have no qualms in acquiring this disc.’
—Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International
International Record Review :
‘the finely attuned Salieri Quartet need not fear comparison with the two more illustrious ensembles. The spacious acoustic of All Saints, East Finchley is evidently an ideal venue, with insightful notes provided by Taylor and Giles Easterbrook’
—Richard Whitehouse, International Record Review, July/August 2013
Classical Lost and Found :
‘Each of the works on this release is performed by a different ensemble, all of which rank among Britain’s finest. In order of appearance, they are the Dante, Allegri and Salieri String Quartets, who give superb accounts of their respective pieces. The playing is technically accomplished across the board with each group making a strong case for its quartet. The composer’s presence at the recording sessions would seem to guarantee we get exactly what he intended. […]
the overall sound is excellent, and Taylor’s colorful writing makes this an ideal string quartet demonstration disc.’
—Bob McQuiston, Classical Lost and Found