Walton & Shostakovich String Quartets Albion Quartet

• William Walton (1902 - 1983): String Quartet in A Minor:
• 1 Walton: String Quartet in A Minor: I. Allegro 10:35
• 2 Walton: String Quartet in A Minor: II. Presto 04:31
• 3 Walton: String Quartet in A Minor: III. Lento 08:29
• 4 Walton: String Quartet in A Minor: IV. Allegro Molto 04:32
• Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975): String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73:
• 5 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73: I. Allegretto 06:46
• 6 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73: II. Moderato con moto 05:23
• 7 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73: III. Allegro non troppo 04:09
• 8 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73: IV. Adagio 05:40
• 9 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73: V. Moderato 10:41
• Total Runtime 01:00:46

Info for Walton & Shostakovich String Quartets

Following their successful Dvořák cycle with Signum Records, Albion String Quartet are back with a selection of string quartets by Walton and Shostakovich, recorded in 2021. The concept: to juxtapose two masterpieces written in the same year in the immediate aftermath of war (1946) by composers inhabiting two entirely different social and political worlds in the Soviet Union and Britain respectively.

Formed in 2016, the Albion Quartet brings together four of the UK’s exceptional young string players who are establishing themselves rapidly on the international stage. Recent engagements from the 2017-18 season included performances at the Louvre in Paris, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Robert Schumann Gesselschaft in Frankfurt, Båstad Festival in Sweden, Festival of Music in Franconia and Rhine Valley Music Festival in Germany, as well as the Hay Festival in the UK. The members of the quartet play on a fine collection of instruments, including a Stradivarius and Guarnerius.

“There is a commitment and intensity to the playing on this disc that is, in my view, a real step forward from the Albion Quartet’s previous series of Dvorak quartets released over the last couple of years…A large pat on the back for the Albion in making this work so well” (Present Arts)

Albion Quartet

Albion Quartet
Formed in 2016, the Albion Quartet unites four outstanding young string players, brought together by a shared belief in the visceral power of the string quartet. The upcoming season sees the quartet returning to the Wigmore Hall and Aldeburgh Festival, as well as continuing residencies at Sainte-Mere Festival in France and RWCMD in Cardiff. They will be making a number of broadcasts for BBC Radio 3, whilst continuing their recording projects for Signum Records, for whom they are exclusive artists.

Recent engagements from the 2017-18 season included performances at the Louvre in Paris, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Robert Schumann Gesselschaft in Frankfurt, Båstad Festival in Sweden, Festival of Music in Franconia and Rhine Valley Music Festival in Germany, as well as the Hay Festival in the UK. They were artists in residence at the Ryedale Festival, exploring the chamber works of Dvorak, and are currently recording a Dvorak cycle for their label, Signum Records. They have been invited back for an extended residency to explore the complete set of Mozart Haydn quartets, with the exciting addition that each one is to be paired with a brand new commissioned work.

Their commitment to new music has most recently seen a collaboration with Kate Whitley for a powerful and evocative song cycle, the ‘Charlotte Mew Songs’, recently performed with soprano Caroline Melzer. Over the summer the quartet is excited to be premiering and touring a new work by Freya Waley-Cohen, co-commissioned by Aldeburgh Festival, the Phillips Collection and Sainte-Mere Festival.

Upcoming performances include their US debut at the Phillips Collection in Washington, alongside appearances at several festivals including the Oxford Lieder, Stratford International, Belfast International, Cheltenham, Presteigne, and Lichfield, and participating in Beethoven cycles in the UK and Portugal.

Passionate about musical education, the quartet holds a residency at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, where they regularly give masterclasses and performances in the Dora Stoutzker Hall. As a Cavatina Chamber Music Trust ensemble, they also give frequent workshops at primary school level where they are thrilled to share the magic of chamber music with children from diverse backgrounds.

The members of the quartet play on a fine collection of instruments, including a Stradivarius and Guarnerius.

Booklet for Walton & Shostakovich String Quartets