Cresswell / Irvine / Shave - Music for String Quartet [CD]

Two ends of the world are bridged in this compelling survey of string chamber music by Lyell Cresswell, whose unique body of work has been a vital presence in his adopted home of Scotland for four decades now while retaining qualities of light, space and openness that evoke his native New Zealand. The imposing String Quartet plays host to a wealth of detail which enriches but never obscures the 'long, strong tune' that threads through the work. Capricci is a set of vividly individual dances, Ricercari a sequence of variations inspired by Cresswell's favorite living painter. Instrumental virtuosity comes to the fore in Kotetetete, whose title puns on 'quartet' and on the Maori word for 'chattering'. Red Note Ensemble is Scotland's contemporary music ensemble, whose work in 2017 included collaborations with the National Theatre of Scotland, performances in Hull and London at the PRSF New Music Biennial, and opening the fortieth Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival with a major new commission from James Dillon. This is their fourth recording on Delphian, following highly-acclaimed portrait albums of Eddie McGuire, John McLeod and David Wilde.