The Tippett Quartet
SOMM SOMMCD 0656 (24/192 WAV). Siva Oke, prod.; Adaq Khan, eng.
Vaughan Williams’s two quartets demonstrate that the line between his English-pastoral style and his more abrasive, bounces into the unstable minor for a bit. Conversely, the and of the more aggressive Second both relax into folklike motifs. The ’s context is distinctly pastoral, but the turns bittersweet and ultimately settles peacefully.