# Vaughan Williams - String Quartet 2 (SQ review)



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

The Second String Quartet was written much later and is a more adventurous work than its predecessor. It is dedicated to Jean Stewart, violist of the Menges Quartet, which is why the viola always plays the leading role. The viola introduces the first movement with an impassioned theme on which much of the ensuing music is based. The viola also starts the somewhat enigmatic Romanza. The mood of this long, questing movement is one of tranquil, though by no means appeased meditation. The opening of the troubled Scherzo is again by the viola with a theme from RVW's film score The 49th Parallel. Both the Romanza and the Scherzo undoubtedly bear the imprint of the war years. The Epilogue, based on a theme written for a film score and unused as such, has the same consolatory strains as the final Passacaglia of the Fifth Symphony completed at about the same time. The Second String Quartet is a masterpiece of Vaughan Williams' last decade, and again too rarely heard.

Tbh, all of the recordings I listened to were easily recommendable so I'll just say a little about each. I felt that one of the recordings was just that tiny bit more special to my ears and that one is highlighted below.

Let me start by saying that I didn't get to hear the late 70s, Japan-only Fiedel Quartet recording but I did start out listening to the well-known *Music Group of London* performance. It's a fairly closely recorded, vibrato-heavy performance that I enjoyed but I never felt that they truly got to the bottom of this piece particularly when handling shifts in dynamics. The *English String Quartet* were more successful in this respect, finding more suitable depth and range of emotion, even if they slightly underplay the darker moments and aren't as secure in ensemble as the completion. Most people here know the *Maggini Quartet* well from their traversal of most of the British Quartets for Naxos and this release is self-recommending. They clearly understand this music really well and mostly play with great expression and skill but I don't think they quite get their tone right throughout (I find viola and violins a bit coarse) and they're a bit one-dimensional in the scherzo. Others may prefer their tone and if so this could be the one for you. Now, if it was down to quality of ensemble then the *Nash Ensemble w*ould win most competitions hands-down but as beautiful and expressive their playing is, as highly recommendable as this is and as warm and comforting the sound of this Hyperion recording is for me they aren't menacing and dark enough and strangely dynamics aren't as pronounced as in their other excellent recordings or in my favourite here, which is...

*Top picks*

The *Medici Quartet *could be a frustrating bunch. They produced a fairly safe (but with tiny glimpses of excellence) Beethoven cycle and elsewhere their SQ recordings follow a similar frustrating pattern. Fortunately this is one where they get it totally right and go for it. As a complete performance it definitely occupies VW's toneworld the best for me. The scherzo is sinister and menacing with great phrasing and dynamics and they dig deepest in a gorgeously stirring and eloquent epilogue. Others may prefer the Nash or Magginis but in my head the Medicis reach the emotional core and tug at my heartstrings the best.

The *Tippett Quartet *recorded the two VW quartets in 2020 and what a beautiful recording it is. Using little vibrato and a raspier sound from the ensemble this is a direct alternative to the Medici recording and one which I probably prefer now but the margins are so tight I'm giving both recordings equal billing. Emotionally this is a really fine performance caught in vibrant sound.


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