Maurice Ravel; Ralph Vaughan Williams - String Quartets (Britten Quartet)

Information

Composer: Maurice Ravel; Ralph Vaughan Williams

• Ravel - String Quartet in F Major, M. 35
• Vaughan Williams - On Wenlock Edge
• Vaughan Williams - String Quartet No. 1 in G Minor

Britten Quartet

Date: 1991 / 2026

Label: Warner Classics

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This 1991 recording by the Britten Quartet brilliantly pairs Ravel’s string quartet with Vaughan Williams’s String Quartet No. 1 in G minor, highlighting a profound musical relationship. Seeking to refine his harmony and achieve French clarity, Vaughan Williams studied under Ravel in Paris, a transformative experience that directly inspired this enchanting, lesser-known masterpiece. Further enriching this impressionistic collection is the song cycle On Wenlock Edge, masterfully performed by tenor Philip Langridge. This inclusion represents a definitive pinnacle of the English composer's vocal repertoire, altogether creating a stimulating and musically significant compilation that beautifully illustrates the cross-cultural influence between the two composers.