AEOLIAN QUARTET CC 9117 AEOLIAN QUARTET Aeolian Quartet, 1954 co-leader of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. From 1959-63 he was violin professor at the Royal Academy and also taught at North Carolina University.
Watson Forbes (1909-1997) was a Scottish violist and music arranger. He was sent to Aeolian Quartet the Royal Academy of Music in London at the age of 16, and after graduating studied with Sydney Humphreys, violin Otakar Sevcik in Czechoslovakia. The invitation to join the Stratton quartet came in 1932. Trevor Williams, violin At the outbreak of War he was co-principal with the London Symphony Orchestra, and Watson Forbes, viola John Moore, cello after a period with the RAF Symphony Orchestra he returned to the Aeolian Quartet playing with them until 1962. He became professor at the RAM in 1954, but moved to
=gì~å=`Üêáëμëíçãç=^êêá~Ö~=ENUMSJNUOSF= Glasgow, to become Head of Music for BBC Scotland, in 1964. His enduring legacy for = violist is the significant contribution he made to the repertoire of arrangements for the String Quartet No. 1 in D minor 26.05 instrument. 1 I Allegro 6.55 2 II Adagio con espressione 8.10 3 III Menuetto & Trio 3.26 John Moore was an original founder member of the Stratton Quartet from 1926, and he 4 IV Adagio - Allegretto 7.38 remained with the successor Aeolian Quartet until 1956. String Quartet No. 2 in A major 20.45 The Aeolian Quartet toured widely, they were significant recording artists: their complete 5 I Allegro con brio 6.19 6 II Andante 6.17 set of the Haydn Quartets, with Emanuel Hurwitz (leader from 1970) remains benchmark, 7 III Menuetto & Trio, Scherzo 3.24 and they were popular broadcasters on the BBC. The ensemble was finally disbanded in 8 IV Andante ma non troppo - Allegro 4.48 1981. Note by Adrian Farmer, 2020 2 7 AEOLIAN QUARTET CC 9117 AEOLIAN QUARTET Aeolian Quartet Existing from the mid-1920s as the Stratton Quartet, after its leader, George Stratton who was also concert master of the London Symphony Orchestra from 1933-52. The members of this English quartet first came to international prominence in 1932 having made a celebrated recording Elgar’s Piano Quartet with pianist Harriet Cohen. At that time the line-up was George Stratton, Carl Taylor, Watson Forbes and John Moore. Carl Taylor was killed in the Second World War and George Stratton withdrew in 1944, after which the name Aeolian Quartet was adopted. There were to be many second violinist, String Quartet No. 3 in E-flat major 22.35 and several leaders prior to the line-up featured on this recording. 9 I Allegro 5.43 10 II Pastorale. Andantino 6.51 Sydney Humphreys (1926-2015) was Canadian born and won a scholarship to the Royal 11 III Menuetto & Trio 3.38 12 IV Presto agitato 6.23 Academy in London, studying with Frederick Grinke and George Enescu. He was leader Total playing time 69.55 of the Aeolian Quartet from 1952-1970. He was a member of Yehudi Menuhin’s Bath Festival Orchestra, and concert master of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. He BBC Studio Broadcasts on 5, 7 & 9 December 1954 returned to Canada in the 1970s to take the position of Head of Strings at the Victoria Transfers from acetate discs by Norman White and Adrian Tuttenham Conservatory where he remained for 30 years. Sourced from the Itter Broadcast Collection
Cover image: La porteuse d'eau Francisco de Goya (1746-1828) Trevor Williams (1929-2007) was born in London and went to the Royal Academy of c 2020 Lyrita Recorded Edition © 2020 Lyrita Recorded Edition Music as a junior student. He became second violin with the Aeolian Quartet after CAMEO CLASSICS is a wholly owned label of LYRITA RECORDED EDITION TRUST Produced under an exclusive licence from Lyrita by Wyastone Estate Limited, Monmouth, NP25 3SR, UK graduating. He became leader of the BBC Scottish Orchestra in 1963, and subsequently www.lyrita.co.uk
6 3 AEOLIAN QUARTET CC 9117 AEOLIAN QUARTET During these years Arriaga revised, and perhaps destroyed, several earlier works as well The composer Juan Arriaga – full name Juan Crisóstomo Jacobo Antonio de Arriaga y as producing a regular flow of new compositions. The three string quartets, probably Balzola – was born in Bilbao on 27 January 1806. He studied and worked in Paris from written before 1822, were published in 1824. Shortly before his death he completed a his mid-teens, and died there just short of his 20th birthday in mid-January 1826. Symphony in D minor showing the influence of Beethoven and having an unnerving
Arriaga’s father was an organist and school teacher in Guernica who moved to Bilbao in similarity to Schubert’s Fourth Symphony (completed in 1816 but not performed until 1804 where he developed a successful business as a ship owner and merchant. Showing 1849). It seems that an amount of music written at this time, and mentioned by Fétis, has early promise the boy was encouraged towards a musical career by both his father and been lost. Like Mendelssohn Arriaga’s musical language seems to have been already elder brother who made every effort to gather the support of a wide array of influential established in his teens, it was founded on a fine melodic gift combined with a court officials and professional musicians. sophisticated technique of continuous transformation, particularly on strongly chromatic themes. According to his father Arriaga composed his first piece at the age of 11, and his Op 1 an Overture was written in 1818, scored for a wind and string nonet. In 1819 Arriaga’s opera Arriaga was buried in the cemetery at Montmarte, his death, as reported by Fétis to his Los esclavos felices appeared, of which only fragments remain. There were additionally father, was attributed to overwork, exhaustion and an infection of the lungs. On the death some piano pieces, motets and patriotic hymns, amounting to about 20 works by 1821. of his father in 1836 the composer’s papers were divided between various family members and only reunited in the 1880s in such a way that an impression of his legacy In September of that year Arriaga left Spain. He met the Spanish ambassador in Paris, could be made. and the composer Cherubini, at that time one of the inspectors of the Paris Conservatoire. Arriaga acquired the nickname ‘the Spanish Mozart’ from Emilio Arrieta (1823-1894) the There he was admitted to the counterpoint class of a newly appointed professor Francois- Spanish composer whose zarzuela Marina (1871) became one of the most popular lyric Joseph Fétis (1784-1871), and to the violin class of Pierre Baillot. His Conservatoire prizes stage works in the repertoire. Intended as an acknowledgement of Arriaga’s similarly included those for counterpoint and fugue in both 1823 and 1824 – the year that Fétis youthful genius and lamentably early death, it is strangely coincidental that the two also took him as a teaching assistant. shared a birth date. 4 5 AEOLIAN QUARTET CC 9117 AEOLIAN QUARTET During these years Arriaga revised, and perhaps destroyed, several earlier works as well The composer Juan Arriaga – full name Juan Crisóstomo Jacobo Antonio de Arriaga y as producing a regular flow of new compositions. The three string quartets, probably Balzola – was born in Bilbao on 27 January 1806. He studied and worked in Paris from written before 1822, were published in 1824. Shortly before his death he completed a his mid-teens, and died there just short of his 20th birthday in mid-January 1826. Symphony in D minor showing the influence of Beethoven and having an unnerving
Arriaga’s father was an organist and school teacher in Guernica who moved to Bilbao in similarity to Schubert’s Fourth Symphony (completed in 1816 but not performed until 1804 where he developed a successful business as a ship owner and merchant. Showing 1849). It seems that an amount of music written at this time, and mentioned by Fétis, has early promise the boy was encouraged towards a musical career by both his father and been lost. Like Mendelssohn Arriaga’s musical language seems to have been already elder brother who made every effort to gather the support of a wide array of influential established in his teens, it was founded on a fine melodic gift combined with a court officials and professional musicians. sophisticated technique of continuous transformation, particularly on strongly chromatic themes. According to his father Arriaga composed his first piece at the age of 11, and his Op 1 an Overture was written in 1818, scored for a wind and string nonet. In 1819 Arriaga’s opera Arriaga was buried in the cemetery at Montmarte, his death, as reported by Fétis to his Los esclavos felices appeared, of which only fragments remain. There were additionally father, was attributed to overwork, exhaustion and an infection of the lungs. On the death some piano pieces, motets and patriotic hymns, amounting to about 20 works by 1821. of his father in 1836 the composer’s papers were divided between various family members and only reunited in the 1880s in such a way that an impression of his legacy In September of that year Arriaga left Spain. He met the Spanish ambassador in Paris, could be made. and the composer Cherubini, at that time one of the inspectors of the Paris Conservatoire. Arriaga acquired the nickname ‘the Spanish Mozart’ from Emilio Arrieta (1823-1894) the There he was admitted to the counterpoint class of a newly appointed professor Francois- Spanish composer whose zarzuela Marina (1871) became one of the most popular lyric Joseph Fétis (1784-1871), and to the violin class of Pierre Baillot. His Conservatoire prizes stage works in the repertoire. Intended as an acknowledgement of Arriaga’s similarly included those for counterpoint and fugue in both 1823 and 1824 – the year that Fétis youthful genius and lamentably early death, it is strangely coincidental that the two also took him as a teaching assistant. shared a birth date. 4 5 AEOLIAN QUARTET CC 9117 AEOLIAN QUARTET Aeolian Quartet Existing from the mid-1920s as the Stratton Quartet, after its leader, George Stratton who was also concert master of the London Symphony Orchestra from 1933-52. The members of this English quartet first came to international prominence in 1932 having made a celebrated recording Elgar’s Piano Quartet with pianist Harriet Cohen. At that time the line-up was George Stratton, Carl Taylor, Watson Forbes and John Moore. Carl Taylor was killed in the Second World War and George Stratton withdrew in 1944, after which the name Aeolian Quartet was adopted. There were to be many second violinist, String Quartet No. 3 in E-flat major 22.35 and several leaders prior to the line-up featured on this recording. 9 I Allegro 5.43 10 II Pastorale. Andantino 6.51 Sydney Humphreys (1926-2015) was Canadian born and won a scholarship to the Royal 11 III Menuetto & Trio 3.38 12 IV Presto agitato 6.23 Academy in London, studying with Frederick Grinke and George Enescu. He was leader Total playing time 69.55 of the Aeolian Quartet from 1952-1970. He was a member of Yehudi Menuhin’s Bath Festival Orchestra, and concert master of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. He BBC Studio Broadcasts on 5, 7 & 9 December 1954 returned to Canada in the 1970s to take the position of Head of Strings at the Victoria Transfers from acetate discs by Norman White and Adrian Tuttenham Conservatory where he remained for 30 years. Sourced from the Itter Broadcast Collection
Cover image: La porteuse d'eau Francisco de Goya (1746-1828) Trevor Williams (1929-2007) was born in London and went to the Royal Academy of c 2020 Lyrita Recorded Edition © 2020 Lyrita Recorded Edition Music as a junior student. He became second violin with the Aeolian Quartet after CAMEO CLASSICS is a wholly owned label of LYRITA RECORDED EDITION TRUST Produced under an exclusive licence from Lyrita by Wyastone Estate Limited, Monmouth, NP25 3SR, UK graduating. He became leader of the BBC Scottish Orchestra in 1963, and subsequently www.lyrita.co.uk
6 3 AEOLIAN QUARTET CC 9117 AEOLIAN QUARTET Aeolian Quartet, 1954 co-leader of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. From 1959-63 he was violin professor at the Royal Academy and also taught at North Carolina University.
Watson Forbes (1909-1997) was a Scottish violist and music arranger. He was sent to Aeolian Quartet the Royal Academy of Music in London at the age of 16, and after graduating studied with Sydney Humphreys, violin Otakar Sevcik in Czechoslovakia. The invitation to join the Stratton quartet came in 1932. Trevor Williams, violin At the outbreak of War he was co-principal with the London Symphony Orchestra, and Watson Forbes, viola John Moore, cello after a period with the RAF Symphony Orchestra he returned to the Aeolian Quartet playing with them until 1962. He became professor at the RAM in 1954, but moved to
=gì~å=`Üêáëμëíçãç=^êêá~Ö~=ENUMSJNUOSF= Glasgow, to become Head of Music for BBC Scotland, in 1964. His enduring legacy for = violist is the significant contribution he made to the repertoire of arrangements for the String Quartet No. 1 in D minor 26.05 instrument. 1 I Allegro 6.55 2 II Adagio con espressione 8.10 3 III Menuetto & Trio 3.26 John Moore was an original founder member of the Stratton Quartet from 1926, and he 4 IV Adagio - Allegretto 7.38 remained with the successor Aeolian Quartet until 1956. String Quartet No. 2 in A major 20.45 The Aeolian Quartet toured widely, they were significant recording artists: their complete 5 I Allegro con brio 6.19 6 II Andante 6.17 set of the Haydn Quartets, with Emanuel Hurwitz (leader from 1970) remains benchmark, 7 III Menuetto & Trio, Scherzo 3.24 and they were popular broadcasters on the BBC. The ensemble was finally disbanded in 8 IV Andante ma non troppo - Allegro 4.48 1981. Note by Adrian Farmer, 2020 2 7 Aeolian Quartet
Everything here, except the Tchaikovsky Symphony, comes from a single concert given in a studio on 5 May 1954. It’s a real surprise Recorded in 1954 and delight to find him conducting Malcolm Arnold. Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody No.1 was a tried and tested Stoky favourite. This BBC reading is sufficiently vibrant to excite the ear of the conductor’s admirers - excellent flute, tight pizzicati and plenty of character. Juan Chrisóstomo Arriaga This is his only performance of Arnold’s Beckus the Dandipratt and it catches the raucous brio as well as the joviality of the music to The Three String Quartets near-perfection. Stokowski savours the strands of its luscious coloration and is no hurry to end; it’s one of the longer performances of the work. Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb Beside the Horlicks and Bournevita conventionally offered in versions of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth this is a reviving draught. The second movement is given one of the most affecting readings ever. The third movement has an urgent lilt and the blurt and blare of the brassy finale rasps off a layer of skin. At the close of the finale every fanfare is skirled with grand panache. It receives a volcanic eruption of applause. You’ve got to hear it. It’s very special. CC 9107 www.wyastone.co.uk for details Rob Barnet, MusicWeb
dÉçêÖÉ=båÉëÅìK=oçã~åá~å=oÜ~éëçÇó=kçK=N== j~äÅçäã=^êåçäÇK=`çãÉÇó=lîÉêíìêÉ=Ú_ÉÅâìë=íÜÉ=a~åÇáéê~ííÛ== oÉáåÜçäÇ=däá≠êÉK=`çåÅÉêíç=Ñçê=`çäçê~íìê~=pçéê~åç=~åÇ=lêÅÜÉëíê~== Ilse Hollweg, soprano BBC Symphony Orchestra A BBC studio concert, broadcast 5 May 1954.
móçíê=fäóáÅÜ=qÅÜ~áâçîëâó=ENUQMJNUVPF=póãéÜçåó=kçK=R=áå=b=ãáåçê=léK=SQ=ENUUUF= International Festival Youth Orchestra (1973) Recorded in rehearsal, and in performance at the Royal Albert Hall, 19 August 1973