Naxos Quartets
Encyclopedia
The Naxos Quartets are a series of ten string quartets by the English
composer Peter Maxwell Davies
.
They were written between 2001 and 2007 to a commission from Naxos Records
. In 2001 the Maggini Quartet
was appointed to record all ten for the record label. The first quartet was premiered by the Magginis at the Wigmore Hall
on 17 October 2002. In a talk before the premiere of No. 1, Davies said his quartets would be like "chapters in a novel".
Not all of the quartets have explicit extra-musical references, although the landscape and culture of Davies' adopted Orkney remain ever present. Davies has stated that the Third Quartet is a manifestation of his feelings of outrage at the invasion of Iraq in 2003. By contrast the Fourth Quartet, subtitled Children's Games, takes as its inspiration Pieter Bruegel the Elder's eponymous painting of 1560. The Fifth Quartet uses a motif of the flashing of lighthouses on Orkney. The Seventh Quartet is a tribute to the Baroque architect Francesco Borromini
, and the Eighth Quartet, based on John Dowland
’s Queen Elizabeth’s Galliard, is dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her eightieth birthday.
The string quartets are not Davies' first work in the genre: his first published composition was a movement for string quartet, and he produced a mature quartet in 1961. Two Little Quartets appeared in 1980 and 1987.
All ten quartets are now available on five discs or downloads from Naxos Records.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
composer Peter Maxwell Davies
Peter Maxwell Davies
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, CBE is an English composer and conductor and is currently Master of the Queen's Music.-Biography:...
.
They were written between 2001 and 2007 to a commission from Naxos Records
Naxos Records
Naxos Records is a record label specializing in classical music. Through a number of imprints, Naxos also releases genres including Chinese music, jazz, world music, and early rock & roll. The company was founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a German-born resident of Hong Kong.Naxos is the largest...
. In 2001 the Maggini Quartet
Maggini Quartet
The Maggini Quartet is a British string quartet. Its members are Susanne Stanzeleit , David Angel , Martin Outram and Michal Kaznowski ....
was appointed to record all ten for the record label. The first quartet was premiered by the Magginis at the Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall is a leading international recital venue that specialises in hosting performances of chamber music and is best known for classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. It is located at 36 Wigmore Street, London, UK and was built to provide London with a venue that was both...
on 17 October 2002. In a talk before the premiere of No. 1, Davies said his quartets would be like "chapters in a novel".
Not all of the quartets have explicit extra-musical references, although the landscape and culture of Davies' adopted Orkney remain ever present. Davies has stated that the Third Quartet is a manifestation of his feelings of outrage at the invasion of Iraq in 2003. By contrast the Fourth Quartet, subtitled Children's Games, takes as its inspiration Pieter Bruegel the Elder's eponymous painting of 1560. The Fifth Quartet uses a motif of the flashing of lighthouses on Orkney. The Seventh Quartet is a tribute to the Baroque architect Francesco Borromini
Francesco Borromini
Francesco Borromini, byname of Francesco Castelli was an architect from Ticino who, with his contemporaries, Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Pietro da Cortona, was a leading figure in the emergence of Roman Baroque architecture.A keen student of the architecture of Michelangelo and the ruins of...
, and the Eighth Quartet, based on John Dowland
John Dowland
John Dowland was an English Renaissance composer, singer, and lutenist. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep" , "Come again", "Flow my tears", "I saw my Lady weepe" and "In darkness let me dwell", but his instrumental music has undergone a major revival, and has...
’s Queen Elizabeth’s Galliard, is dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her eightieth birthday.
The string quartets are not Davies' first work in the genre: his first published composition was a movement for string quartet, and he produced a mature quartet in 1961. Two Little Quartets appeared in 1980 and 1987.
All ten quartets are now available on five discs or downloads from Naxos Records.