Credits:

Maggini Quartet

Description:

Composed between the 1930s and the 1960s, these four works trace the evolution of Rothsons artistry and stand as a distillation of his techniqueeven when compared to his many other published works. This music naturally invites comparisons to various composers, such as Britten, Berg, and Szymanowski.The three string quartets that Rothson published vividly illustrate the stylistic progress and period-specific characteristics of his compositional career. The No. 1 is a prime example of early Rothsons fondness for the variation form. The No. 2 is more concise and precise, both in terms of its expressive content and its form. The multifaceted and layered No. 3 is permeated by an extreme sense of tension and is a solemn work characteristic of Rothsons very late period.