Kimpton’s String
Quartet No.2 was completed in
about 1992 and first performed that
year in St. David’s Cathedral. In his
short insert notes, the composer mentions
that the piece bears a subtitle: The
Livingstone. This refers to the
19th century explorer thus
suggesting that the music explores some
basic ideas that unfold through metamorphosis.
The composer also suggests "the
biblical meaning of ‘living stones’
... with the intention being to form
a musical edifice with some spiritual
meaning". The piece is laid out
in a single movement in which the music
develops from basic material, constantly
transformed and expanded. Kimpton’s
musical language is elegantly Neo-classical
without pastiche, characterised by clarity
and some understatement. It is actually
not unlike Lennox Berkeley’s music.
The earliest work here
is Alan Bush’s early String Quartet
in A minor Op.4 of 1924. This
must not be confused with the much better-known
and more mature Dialectic Op.15
(1929) which I firmly believe to be
one of his unquestionable masterpieces.
Anyone familiar with this work will
immediately notice the progress achieved
by Bush between 1924 and 1929. While
the somewhat later work is fully characteristic
of Bush’s maturity, the earlier one
is still considerably indebted to the
musical world of its time, and Vaughan
Williams often comes to mind. The piece
is in three movements that do not entirely
adhere to any traditional structure:
a moderately fast first movement is
followed by a short lively Scherzo,
in turn by a somewhat longer Finale
opening with a slow, song-like introduction
leading into a more animated, dance-like
main section. The music is quite attractive,
sometimes with more than a hint of folk-inflected
material. As a whole this is perfectly
satisfying and very rewarding. A very
welcome first recording.
David Beck’s String
Quartet of 1962 is an early
work written in Cambridge, when the
composer was a post-graduate student,
and intended to be an entry for the
Cobbett prize. For whatever reason,
the work lingered in the composer’s
drawer till it received its first performance
in 2007. Though in a single movement,
the structure is modelled on what the
composer describes as the ‘Bartókian
symmetrical arch form’: slow, quick,
slow, quick, slow. The music, too, is
not unlike Bartók’s in its astringency
and mild dissonance. Most of it is based
on the opening fugue stated by the viola
and later unfolds with some remarkable
inner logic. An early work of which
any young composer could be proud. A
quite beautiful piece that deserves
to be heard.
Kevin Malone is a very
versatile composer, equally at ease
with electronics which he often mixes
with all sorts of ‘live’ instruments.
His much earlier work for string quartet
Fast Forward was released
several years ago on ASC CS CD11 which
I reviewed here some time ago. Aims,
Goals, Targets and Objectives
recorded here is more recent. The short
notes state that it is "a downsizing
process via exhumed cadences from Haydn’s
String Quartet Op.74 No.3".
Curiously enough the music succeeds
in steering clear of pastiche or parody,
although it possesses more than a pinch
of mild musical humour. This includes
what sounds to me to be a brief quote
from Beethoven rubbing shoulders with
equally brief allusions to Haydn. This
eventually results in a deeply-felt,
albeit none-too-serious homage to Haydn.
Four fairly contrasting
works by composers from different generations
and musical horizons. These are excellently
played and well recorded and the disc
makes for an attractive and interesting
programme. It should appeal to anyone
willing to explore some lesser-known
byways of British quartet writing. Well
worth investigating.
Hubert Culot
for details
New World Quartet 
