Crisantemi: Italian String Quartets Puccini – Cherubini – Verdi

amuletts — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:46:18 +0000

“an essential disc for Puccini-fanciers … these chips off the workbench fascinatingly illuminate what we know of the opera composer … recorded sound is very vivid and immediate for the excellent Raphael Quartet.” … “Among the six quartet pieces I crisantemi is justly well known a charming piece that provided material for Manon Lescaut. The second of the three Minuets similarly gave Puccini the idea for the brilliant opening of that opera … Scherzo in A minor of the same year is delightful, presumably intended as another movement for the quartet” (Gramophone)

Puccini: Crisantemi; 3 Minuets; Scherzo; Quartet Movement [24:02]

1. Crisantemi (Andante mesto) 6:00

2. Minuetto I (Moderato) 3:39

3. Minuetto II (Allegretto) 2:38

4. Minuetto III (Assai mosso) 2:50

5. Scherzo in A minor (Allegro vivo) 0:58

6. Allegro moderato (Quartet in D major) 7:55

Cherubini: String Quartet No.1 in Eb major** [33:06]

7. I. Adagio – Allegro agitato 12:24

8. II. Larghetto sans lenteur 9:08

9. III. Scherzo. Allegretto moderato 6:53

10. IV. Finale. Allegro assai 4:40

Verdi: String Quartet in E minor** [21:24]

11. I. Allegro 7:09

12. II. Andantino 7:01

13. III. Prestissimo 3:15

14. IV. Scherzo Fuga. Allegro assai mosso 3:59

Britten Quartet – Alto CD

Crisantemi: Italian String Quartets Puccini – Cherubini – Verdi