Album Review: Takács Quartet – Britten String Quartets 1, 2 and 3

Album Review: Takács Quartet – Britten String Quartets 1, 2 and 3
Takács Quartet – Britten String Quartets 1, 2 and 3 (Hyperion)
12/19/2013
Updated:
12/19/2013

Probably less well known than much of Britten’s work, these three string quartets, presented here by the highly skilled Takács Quartet, serve to remind us of what an innovator Britten was and how much he influenced other composers around him. Fatalistic and aggressive in one part, achingly poignant and sad at the next, the works are coloured with Britten’s introspection of war and death. Recent recordings under the Hyperion banner have seen the Takács Quartet move towards recording less familiar works by well known composers. Here they have rediscovered some woefully underrated music and produced a classic, a must have for all Britten fans.

Four stars

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