The three works contained on this recording date from different periods in Carpenter’s career as a composer. The Violin Sonata was completed in 1913. Its mood ranges from the nostalgic to the impassioned, with the lyrical opening recalling the music of another composer, Frederick Delius. The String Quartet dates from 1927. At times the work also contains clear references to folk-music. The Piano Quintet was composed in 1937 and typifies Carpenter’s later music with its broad and highly self-confident writing for all the instruments, especially the piano. The emotional range of the Quintet is extensive, with clear moments of humour balancing the more turbulent intense passages.
