Your basket:
There are no items in your basket.
Use the Buy? buttons across the site.
The following discounts will be applied:
over £20 for 10% discount on whole order
over £40 for 15% discount on whole order
over £60 for 25% discount on whole order
(P&P free on almost all orders.)
Bookmark and Share
Click album cover to view larger version
CDA66905


Recording details: February 1997
Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, Hampstead, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Mark Brown
Engineered by Antony Howell & Julian Millard
Release date: September 1997
Total duration: 63 minutes 1 seconds

'Stern but vigorous, with all the classic virtues of chamber music' (Classic CD)

'Yet another invigorating and thought-provoking disc in Hyperion's invaluable Simpson cycle. Richly rewarding' (Gramophone)

Robert Simpson (1921-1997)
String Quartet No. 13, & Quintet No. 2
Delmé Quartet, Thea King (clarinet), Christopher Van Kampen (cello)
LISTEN TO ALL EXTRACTS
Quintet for clarinet and strings
1
Movement 1. Part 1: Adagio  [2'05]
2
Movement 1. Part 2: Allegro ma non troppo  [3'38]
3
Movement 2: Adagio molto  [4'17]
4
Movement 3: Prestissimo  [6'12]
5
Movement 4: Grazioso e tranquillo  [4'00]
6
Movement 5. Part 1: Allegro molto  [6'38]
7
Movement 5. Part 2: Andantino – Meno mosso, molto sereno  [3'44]
String Quartet No 13
8
Movement 1: Allegro molto  [4'17]
9
Movement 2: Andante  [5'37]
10
Movement 3: Vivace  [5'02]
11
Movement 4: Andante  [3'05]
String Quintet No 2
12
Movement 1. Part 1: Moderato (Tempo 1)  [2'07]
13
Movement 1. Part 2: Allegro (Tempo 2)  [0'52]
14
Movement 1. Part 3: Tempo 1  [1'36]
15
Movement 1. Part 4: Tempo 2  [1'41]
16
Movement 1. Part 5: Tempo 1  [2'19]
17
Movement 1. Part 6: Tempo 2  [3'14]
18
Movement 1. Part 7: Tempo 1  [2'37]
The Clarinet Quintet which opens this disc is one of Simpson's most compelling works. Its expansive feel owes much to the models of Brahms and Mozart, yet Simpson creates an inimitable score which closes in ethereal beauty. String Quartet No 13 is the most compact of Simpson's later works in the genre. Playing without a break, its four movements follow fast-slow-fast-slow pattern requiring great intensity from all four players. The Second Quintet is Simpson's last composition to date. It is severe in character, containing some of the composer's toughest contrapuntal writing in the Allegro sections (which alternate with the calmer Moderato). The close is particularly gloomy.