CHARLES VILLIERS STANFORD (1852-1924): String Quintets No. 1 in F and No, 2 in C Minor*, 3 Intermezzi for Cello and Piano*. * - First Recordings.

Description: Composed with Stanford’s lifelong mentor, the legendary violinist Joseph Joachim, in mind, the Quintets are the product of a master craftsman speaking with his own distinctive voice. Both were first performed in 1904 and separately owe a direct and glancing debt to Brahms. Originally composed for clarinet and piano, the Intermezzi of 1880 display a masterly interplay between cello and piano in Stanford’s own arrangement. Members of the Dante and Endellion Quartets, Benjamin Frith (piano).