The String Quartet No. 3 in D minor was written in 1896, five full years after the first two quartets. Stanford wrote it for his friend, violinist Joseph Joachim, and his quartet. I've often characterized Stanford's music as Brahms with an Irish lilt. That very much applies in this case.
The quartet follows the classical pure music model laid out by Brahms in his own quartet. The music challenges the performers technically. But the music is well-crafted. Each motif is fully developed, logically expanding outward to create an inviting soundscape. This is a work that can yield additional insights with each hearing.
String Quartet No. 4 in G minor (1907) was also composed for a specific ensemble -- the Kruse Quartet. Johann Kruse was a student of Joachim and was extraordinarily agile across the range of the violin. The quartet exploits that talent, which makes it quite demanding for most violinists.
Structurally, the work seems less complex than the third quartet. To my ears, it seemed more akin to Middle Period Beethoven than Brahms.
String Quartet No. 7 in C minor is a late work, written for a student ensemble. The technical demands are lighter, and the work seems to have a thinner texture than the other two quartets. Nevertheless, Stanford thoroughly works through his material, creating work with plenty of melodic and harmonic inventiveness.
I was a little disappointed by the performance of the Dante Quartet. There seemed to be some minor pitch problems, particularly in the opening movement of Quartet No. 3. And sometimes the ensemble's blend seemed a little wobbly to me. Nevertheless, their interpretations were thoughtful and insightful, which served the music very well.
They've now recorded five of Stanford's eight quartets. In spite of my quibbles, I'm very much looking forward to the next installment in this series.
Charles Villiers Stanford: String Quartets Nos. 3, 4 & 7
Dante Quartet
Somm SOMMCD 0185
World premiere recordings
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