Britten: String Quartets Vol.1 (Incls 'Three Divertimenti')

Benjamin Britten's compositions for string quartet include some of the most important examples of the genre in the twentieth century. They include four quartets and three movements from an unfinished suite and reflect his understanding of a medium of which he had experience as a performer.

Born in Lowestoft in 1913, Britten quickly outgrew local resources for guidance in composition and was sent for instruction in 1927 to Frank Bridge who became both teacher and friend. In common with Bridge, Britten played the viola, and his works for string instruments are from the earliest attempts, entirely idiomatic, with a thorough understanding of all aspects of performing techniques. His brother Robert was a violinist, and Britten's first compositions reflected these family abilities.