The memory of Janet Craxton (1929-81) remains vivid with many people, and this CD gives ample opportunity to see why. Floating a phrase under shifting strings in Francis Routh's Quartet, or the 12-note melody of Nicola LeFanu's Variations, she is a performer who makes you listen.
Scherzos abound in this CD, as in the excitement of Richard Stoker's Polemics, and the sophistication of Elizabeth Maconchy's Quartet.
The magic of Janet Craxton's playing is evident throughout these fine BBC recordings, as in Lennox Berkeley's Quartet, and the emotional journey she takes us on with Elisabeth Lutyens' powerful quartet Driving out the Death. |
