To celebrate his 100th birthday, Elliott Carter’s Complete String Quartets have been newly recorded by the Pacifica Quartet, Musical America’s Ensemble of the Year for 2009. Volume 1 (8.559362) was critically acclaimed: “a knockout” (Limelight), “Music with heart as well as a brain” (4 STARS, The Times ), “the best possible introduction to Carter’s music” (5 STARS, The Guardian ). This disc presents the three remaining string quartets by the composer hailed by Aaron Copland as “one of America’s most distinguished creative artists in any field”.
Carter, Elliott
String Quartet No. 2
1 Introduction - 01:18
2 I. Allegro fantastico - 03:04
3 I. Cadenza for viola - 01:54
4 II. Presto scherzando - 02:20
5 II. Cadenza for cello - 02:10
6 III. Andante espressivo - 05:10
7 III. Cadenza for violin I - 01:55
8 IV. Allegro - 05:22
9 IV. Conclusion 01:23
String Quartet No. 3
10 Duo II: Maestoso (giusto sempre) - / Duo I: Furioso (quasi rubato sempre) - 04:31
11 Duo I: Giocoso (bar 90) - Duo II: Scorrevole (bar 106) - 02:18
12 Duo I: Leggerissimo (bar 136) - Duo II: Giusto, meccanico (bar 151) - 02:49
13 Duo I: Giocoso (bar 197) - Duo II: Maestoso (bar 219) - 02:41
14 Duo II: Largo tranquillo (bar 254) - Duo I: Leggerissimo (bar 277) - 05:28
15 Duo II: Scorrevole (bar 366) - Duo I: Andante espressivo (bar 380) 04:05
String Quartet No. 4
16 Appassionato - 07:24
17 Scherzando (stesso tempo) - 06:31
18 Lento (stesso tempo) - 06:49
19 Presto 07:04
