Eleanor Alberga: String Quartets 1, 2 & 3

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Thomas Bowes - violin 1; Jacqueline Shave - violin 2 (tracks 1-3); Oscar Perks - violin 2 (tracks 4-8); Andres Kaljuste - viola; Jonathan Swensen - cello; Eleanor Alberga (1949-); © 2019 Navona Records

Navona Records: “With her richly diverse background and commissions from the BBC Proms and The Royal Opera, one would expect that composer Eleanor Alberga’s Navona Records release would be nothing short of a showstopper. It is just that and more. The three pieces on her STRING QUARTETS 1, 2 & 3 offer a penetrating view into Alberga’s creative genius. The album pulls the absolute best from the gifted Ensemble Arcadiana.

STRING QUARTETS 1, 2 & 3 begins with the dazzling and giddying String Quartet No. 1. The composer describes it as being inspired by a lecture on physics and the fact that everything, including our own bodies, are essentially made of stardust. Rich and lyrical yet spellbindingly complex, the strings seem to interact with each other like comets in a celestial soundscape. String Quartet No. 2 is, in the words of the composer, more concise and compact than the first. Its single movement span presents traditional forms embedded in a truly forward-thinking piece, bringing out Alberga’s great skills as an artist and composer. String Quartet No. 3 takes the album in a different direction from the first two pieces, mixing tonality with 12-tone elements. Notably modern yet decidedly enjoyable to the ear (and to the performers, who described the third movement as like the “play of sunlight on water”), String Quartet No. 3 bridges styles and evolves naturally as the piece progresses. It takes a truly skilled, genuinely inspired composer to write in a way that is so complex and yet sounds so effortless.

STRING QUARTETS 1, 2 & 3 is a string quartet album like no other, taking listeners on a heart stopping journey through a composer’s richly creative mind and an ensemble’s cohesive, dynamic artistry. As the string quartet genre continues to evolve, one can be sure that Eleanor Alberga will remain at the forefront for years to come.”

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“These three vibrant quartets (I very much hope that Ms. Alberga will return to the form in the future) deserve to be heard by – and will reward – all who value the String Quartet and its continued vitality.” - Music Web International

“This music will enhance anyone's life: if you've ever wondered if good string quartets are still being written, here's proof that they are… Extraordinary, intelligent music, wonderfully performed by the Ensemble Arcadiana.” - The Arts Desk