String Meditation
For many, string instruments – the soaring violin, the mellow viola, the soulful cello – come closest to the human voice: flexible, singing and minutely controllable in terms of colour and timbre. This playlist presents some of the most beautiful movements that bring these instruments together. Compositions for string quartet, quintet, sextet and orchestra that show their creators at their most personal – sometimes melancholy and tinged with sadness, but with an underlying sense of serenity and hope. Music to move and inspire.
- Tchaikovsky • String Quartet No. 1 in D major op. 11 TH 111 • II. Andante cantabileString Quartet No. 1 in D major op. 11 TH 111
II. Andante cantabileHeath Quartet
Oliver Heath (Violin), Cerys Jones (Violin), Gary Pomeroy (Viola), Christopher Murray (Violoncello)℗ 2016 - Haydn • String Quartet in C major op. 50/2 Hob. III:45 • II. Adagio cantabileString Quartet in C major op. 50/2 Hob. III:45
II. Adagio cantabileDoric String QuartetLive
Alex Redington (Violin), Jonathan Stone (Violin), Simon Tandree (Viola), John Myerscough (Violoncello)January 2009, London, Wigmore Hall - Dvořák • String Quartet No. 12 in F major op. 96 B 179 “American” • II. LentoString Quartet No. 12 in F major op. 96 B 179
II. LentoJerusalem Quartet
Alexander Pavlovsky (Violin), Sergei Bresler (Violin), Ori Kam (Viola), Kyril Zlotnikov (Violoncello)℗ 2006 - Purcell • Fantasia à 6 in G minor Z 746 • Fantasia à 6 in G minor Z 746 "In nomine"Fantasia à 6 in G minor Z 746
Fantasia à 6 in G minor Z 746 "In nomine"Philippe Pierlot, Ricercar Consort℗ 2005 - Purcell • Fantasy upon a Ground Z 731
- Beethoven • String Quartet No. 15 in A minor op. 132 • III. Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an der Gottheit, in der lydischen Tonart. Molto adagio
- Pärt • Festina lente, for Harp and String Orchestra (1986, rev. 1990)Festina lente, for Harp and String Orchestra (1986, rev. 1990)Neeme Järvi, Philharmonia OrchestraJune 1992, London, All Saints Church, Tooting
- Mahler • Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor • III. Abteilung • IV. Adagietto. Sehr langsamSymphony No. 5 in C sharp minor
III. Abteilung • IV. Adagietto. Sehr langsamDaniel Harding, Sveriges Radios Symfoniorkester℗ 2017 - Lekeu • Adagio for String Orchestra • Adagio
- Bruckner • String Quintet in F major WAB 112 • III. AdagioString Quintet in F major WAB 112
III. AdagioBartholdy Quintet
Anke Dill (Violin), Ulf Schneider (Violin), Volker Jacobsen (Violin), Barbara Westphal (Viola), Gustav Rivinius (Violoncello)℗ 2014 - Mozart • String Quintet No. 5 in D major KV 593 • II. AdagioString Quintet No. 5 in D major KV 593
II. AdagioKlenke Quartett
Annegret Klenke (Violin), Beate Hartmann (Violin), Yvonne Uhlemann (Viola), Ruth Kaltenhäuser (Violoncello), Harald Schoneweg (Viola)℗ 2018 - Strauss • Sextet from 'Capriccio' op. 85 TrV 279a • Andante con motoSextet from 'Capriccio' op. 85 TrV 279a
Andante con motoArtemis Quartett
Natalia Prischepenko (Violin), Heime Müller (Violin), Volker Jacobsen (Viola), Thomas Kakuska (Viola), Eckart Runge (Violoncello), Valentin Erben (Violoncello)℗ 2006 - Suk • Serenade for Strings in E flat major op. 6 • III. AdagioSerenade for Strings in E flat major op. 6
III. AdagioMariss Jansons, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks2016, München, Philharmonie im Gasteig - Bacewicz • String Quartet No. 5 (1955) • III. Corale. LargoString Quartet No. 5 (1955)
III. Corale. LargoSilesian String Quartet
Szymon Krzeszowiec (Violin), Arkadiusz Kubica (Violin), Łukasz Syrnicki (Viola), Piotr Janosik (Violoncello)2010 - 2011, Katowice, Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music - Schubert • String Quintet in C major op. posth. 163 D 956 • II. AdagioString Quintet in C major op. posth. 163 D 956
II. AdagioBorodin Quartet
Mikhail Kopelman (Violin), Andrei Abramenkov (Violin), Dmitri Shebalin (Viola), Valentin Berlinsky (Violoncello), Mikhail Milman (Violoncello)℗ 1993 - Bach • Concerto for Violin, Strings and Basso continuo in E major BWV 1042 • II. AdagioConcerto for Violin, Strings and Basso continuo in E major BWV 1042
II. AdagioKammerorchester des Symphonieorchesters des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Daniel Lozakovich (Violin), Olga Watts (Harpsichord)℗ 2018 - Adès • Arcadiana op. 12 (1994) • VI. O AlbionArcadiana op. 12 (1994)
VI. O AlbionSignum Quartett
Kerstin Dill (Violin), Annette Walther (Violin), Xandi van Dijk (Viola), Thomas Schmitz (Violoncello)December 2013, Köln, Klaus-von-Bismarck-Saal - Vaughan Williams • Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (1910, rev. 1919) “Tallis Fantasia” • Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (1910, rev. 1919) "Tallis Fantasia"Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (1910, rev. 1919)
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (1910, rev. 1919) "Tallis Fantasia"Sir Andrew Davis, BBC Symphony Orchestra℗ 1991 - Britten • String Quartet No. 3 in G major op. 94 • V. Recitative and passacaglia (La serenissima). SlowString Quartet No. 3 in G major op. 94
V. Recitative and passacaglia (La serenissima). SlowEndellion Quartet
Andrew Watkinson (Violin), Ralph de Souza (Violin), Garfield Jackson (Viola), David Waterman (Violoncello)1986, London - Bach • Concerto for 2 Violins, Strings and Basso Continuo in D minor BWV 1043 • II. Largo ma non tantoConcerto for 2 Violins, Strings and Basso Continuo in D minor BWV 1043
II. Largo ma non tantoIl Pomo d'Oro
Shunske Sato (Violin), Zefira Valova (Violin)℗ 2018 - Korngold • Symphonic Serenade for String Orchestra in B flat major op. 39 • III. Lento religiosoSymphonic Serenade for String Orchestra in B flat major op. 39
III. Lento religiosoMatthias Bamert, BBC PhilharmonicJune 1996, Manchester, Studio 7, Manchester - Fine • Suite for Strings (2014) • 4. Finding Home: Adagio sonoreSuite for Strings (2014)
4. Finding Home: Adagio sonorePhilip Mann, Royal Scottish National Orchestra℗ 2019 - Barber • Adagio for Strings (from the String Quartet op. 11) (1938) • Molto adagioAdagio for Strings (from the String Quartet op. 11) (1938)
Molto adagioLeonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic℗ 1971 - Brahms • String Sextet No. 2 in G major op. 36 • III. Poco adagioString Sextet No. 2 in G major op. 36
III. Poco adagioIsabelle Faust (Violin), Christian Tetzlaff (Violin), Stefan Fehlandt (Viola), Hanna Weinmeister (Viola), Julian Steckel (Violoncello), Gustav Rivinius (Violoncello)Live℗ 2006 - Elgar • Serenade for String Orchestra in E minor op. 20 • II. LarghettoSerenade for String Orchestra in E minor op. 20
II. LarghettoSakari Oramo, Ostrobothnian Chamber OrchestraNovember 2014, Kokkola, Snellman Hall - Suk • Meditation on the Old Czech Chorale 'St. Wenceslas' op. 35a (Version for String Quartet) • Adagio, ma con moto
- Anonymous (Traditional) • Now found is the fairest of roses (Arr. for String Quartet)Now found is the fairest of roses (Arr. for String Quartet)Danish String Quartet
Frederik Øland (Violin), Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen (Violin), Asbjørn Nørgaard (Viola), Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin (Violoncello)℗ 2017