The year 2010 marked a century since the London String Quartet, known affectionately as the LSQ, gave it's first concerts. Britain's leading chamber ensemble for two decades, it was equally well known in America, where it competed on equal terms with the Flonzaley Quartet: In 1925 leading American critic Olin Downes hailed 'the finest quartet playing that has been heard this Winter in New York'. The LSQ gave many premiÃ¨res, made myriad records and at different times included Albert Sammons and William Primrose. That almost no trace of the group remained in the catalogues in it's centenary year was sad but easily explicable. Much of it's recorded output was produced by the acoustic process; and often the music was abridged because the Columbia Graphophone Company was not fully committed to chamber music until around 1923. One can still enjoy those old discs, which represent the best of the neat, unfussy British string style; and some of them are reproduced here. But the five programmes performed at the Library of Congress from 1943 to 1951, issued here for the first time, inevitably give a better idea of the LSQ's capabilities: For one thing, they are played straight through, before a sympathetic audience, rather than being done in a sterile studio by the old stop-start 78rpm method.

Tracklist:

String Quartet No. 9 In C Major, Op. 59, No. 3, "Rasumovsky": I. Andante Con Moto - Allegro Vivace
String Quartet No. 9 In C Major, Op. 59, No. 3, "Rasumovsky": II. Andante Con Moto Quasi Allegretto
String Quartet No. 9 In C Major, Op. 59, No. 3, "Rasumovsky": III. Menuetto: Grazioso
String Quartet No. 9 In C Major, Op. 59, No. 3, "Rasumovsky": IV. Allegro Molto
String Quartet No. 3 In B Flat Major, Op. 67 : I. Vivace
String Quartet No. 3 In B Flat Major, Op. 67 : II. Andante
String Quartet No. 3 In B Flat Major, Op. 67 : III. Agitato: Allegretto Non Troppo
String Quartet No. 3 In B Flat Major, Op. 67 : IV. Poco Allegretto Con Variazioni
String Quartet In G Minor, Op. 10: I. Anime Et Tres Decide
String Quartet In G Minor, Op. 10: II. Assez Vif Et Bien Rythme
String Quartet In G Minor, Op. 10: III. Andantino Doucement Expressif
String Quartet In G Minor, Op. 10: IV. Tres Modere - En Animant Peu A Peu - Tres Mouvemente Et Avec Passion
String Quartet No. 61 In D Minor, Op. 76, No. 2, Hob.III:76, "Fifths": I. Allegro
String Quartet No. 61 In D Minor, Op. 76, No. 2, Hob.III:76, "Fifths": II. Andante O Piu Tosto Allegretto
String Quartet No. 61 In D Minor, Op. 76, No. 2, Hob.III:76, "Fifths": III. Menuetto: Allegro Ma No Troppo
String Quartet No. 61 In D Minor, Op. 76, No. 2, Hob.III:76, "Fifths": IV. Vivace Assai
String Quartet No. 62 In C Major, Op. 76, No. 3, Hob.III:77, "Emperor" : I. Allegro
String Quartet No. 62 In C Major, Op. 76, No. 3, Hob.III:77, "Emperor" : II. Poco Adagio, Cantabile
String Quartet No. 62 In C Major, Op. 76, No. 3, Hob.III:77, "Emperor" : III. Menuetto: Allegro
String Quartet No. 62 In C Major, Op. 76, No. 3, Hob.III:77, "Emperor" : IV. Finale: Presto
I. Andante Espressivo - Allegro Molto Moderato
String Quartet No. 3 In A Major, Op. 41, No. 3: II. Assai Agitato - Un Poco Adagio - Tempo Risoluto
String Quartet No. 3 In A Major, Op. 41, No. 3: III. Adagio Molto
String Quartet No. 3 In A Major, Op. 41, No. 3: IV. Finale: Allegro Molto Vivace
String Quartet No. 12, Op. 70: I. Calmly And Evenly Flowing, Utmost Tenderness And Intimacy
String Quartet No. 12, Op. 70: II. Adagio
String Quartet No. 12, Op. 70: III. Pensive Serenade
String Quartet No. 12, Op. 70: IV. Vigorous
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 95, "Serioso": I. Allegro Con Brio
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 95, "Serioso": II. Allegretto Ma Non Troppo
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 95, "Serioso": III. Allegro Assai Vivace, Ma Serioso
String Quartet No. 11 In F Minor, Op. 95, "Serioso": IV. Larghetto Espressivo - Allegretto Agitato - Allegro
String Quartet No. 2 In D Flat Major, Op. 15: I. Andante - Allegro
String Quartet No. 2 In D Flat Major, Op. 15: II. Presto Acciaccato
String Quartet No. 2 In D Flat Major, Op. 15: III. Molto Adagio
String Quartet No. 15 In A Minor, Op. 132: I. Assai Sostenuto - Allegro
String Quartet No. 15 In A Minor, Op. 132: II. Allegro Ma Non Tanto
String Quartet No. 15 In A Minor, Op. 132: III. Heiliger Dankgesang Eines Genesenden An Die Gottheit, In Der Lydischen Tonart: M
String Quartet No. 15 In A Minor, Op. 132: IV. Alla Marcia, Assai Vivace
String Quartet No. 15 In A Minor, Op. 132: V. Allegro Appassionato
String Quartet No. 13 In A Minor, Op. 29, No. 1, D. 804: I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo
String Quartet No. 13 In A Minor, Op. 29, No. 1, D. 804: II. Andante
String Quartet No. 13 In A Minor, Op. 29, No. 1, D. 804: III. Menuetto: Allegretto
String Quartet No. 13 In A Minor, Op. 29, No. 1, D. 804: IV. Allegro Moderato
Prelude
Paysages: North
Paysages: Tongataboo
Alpestre
In The Mountains: In The Mountains: Rustic Dance
String Quartet In F Major: I. Allegro Moderato
String Quartet In F Major: II. Assez Vif
String Quartet In F Major: III. Tres Lent
String Quartet In F Major: IV. Vif Et Agite
String Quartet No. 19 In C Major, K. 465, "Dissonance": I. Adagio - Allegro
String Quartet No. 19 In C Major, K. 465, "Dissonance": II. Andante Cantabile
String Quartet No. 19 In C Major, K. 465, "Dissonance": III. Menuetto: Allegro
String Quartet No. 19 In C Major, K. 465, "Dissonance": IV. Allegro Molto
String Quartet No. 6 In A Major, "Biscay": I. Le Phare: Allegro Maestoso - Tranquillo - Tempo I
String Quartet No. 6 In A Major, "Biscay": II. Les Dunes: Andante Mesto
String Quartet No. 6 In A Major, "Biscay": III. La Racleuse: Vivace - Allegretto Leggiero
String Quartet In A Minor, Op. 51, No. 2: I. Allegro Non Troppo
String Quartet In A Minor, Op. 51, No. 2: II. Andante Moderato
String Quartet In A Minor, Op. 51, No. 2: III. Quasi Minuetto, Moderato
String Quartet In A Minor, Op. 51, No. 2: IV. Finale: Allegro Non Assai
String Quartet In D Major, M. 9: I. Poco Lento - Allegro
String Quartet In D Major, M. 9: II. Scherzo: Vivace
String Quartet In D Major, M. 9: III. Larghetto
String Quartet In D Major, M. 9: IV. Finale: Allegro Molto
On Wenlock Edge: No. 1. On Wenlock Edge
On Wenlock Edge: No. 2. From Far, From Eve And Morning
On Wenlock Edge: No. 3. Is My Team Ploughing?
On Wenlock Edge: No. 4. Oh, When I Was In Love With You
On Wenlock Edge: No. 5. Bredon Hill
On Wenlock Edge: No. 6. Clun
String Quartet No. 12 In C Minor, D. 703, "Quartettsatz"
String Quartet In E Minor, Op. 83: I. Allegro Moderato
String Quartet In E Minor, Op. 83: II. Piacevole (Poco Andante)
String Quartet In E Minor, Op. 83: III. Allegro Molto
3 Idylls: No. 1. Adagio Molto Espressivo
3 Idylls: No. 2. Allegretto Poco Lento
3 Idylls: No. 3. Allegro Con Moto
An Irish Melody, "Londonderry Air"
String Quartet In A Minor: String Quartet In A Minor: IV. Retrospection
Susanna (Oh! Susanna) (Arr. For String Quartet)
Gwine To Run All Night (De Camptown Races) (Arr. For String Quartet)
Old Folks At Home (Arr. For String Quartet)
Laura Lee (Arr. For String Quartet)
Beautiful Dreamer (Arr. For String Quartet)
Gentle Annie (Arr. For String Quartet)
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair (Arr. For String Quartet)
Old Black Joe (Poor Old Joe) (Arr. For String Quartet)

UPC: 017685125324
Label: Music & Arts Program
Release Date: 9.13.11
Format: CD

The London String Ensemble - London String Quartet (8 CD)