Crisantemi: Italian String Quartets (Puccini, Cherubini, Verdi) - Raphael Quartet, Britten Quartet

“an essential disc for Puccini-fanciers … these chips off the workbench fascinatingly illuminate what we know of the opera composer … recorded sound is very vivid and immediate for the excellent Raphael Quartet.” … “Among the six quartet pieces I crisantemi is justly well known a charming piece that provided material for Manon Lescaut. The second of the three Minuets similarly gave Puccini the idea for the brilliant opening of that opera … Scherzo in A minor of the same year is delightful, presumably intended as another movement for the quartet” (Gramophone) Puccini: Crisantemi; 3 Minuets; Scherzo; Quartet Movement [24:02]1. Crisantemi (Andante mesto) 6:002. Minuetto I (Moderato) 3:393. Minuetto II (Allegretto) 2:384. Minuetto III (Assai mosso) 2:505. Scherzo in A minor (Allegro vivo) 0:586. Allegro moderato (Quartet in D major) 7:55 Cherubini: String Quartet No.1 in Eb major** [33:06]7. I. Adagio – Allegro agitato 12:248. II. Larghetto sans lenteur 9:089. III. Scherzo. Allegretto moderato 6:5310. IV. Finale. Allegro assai 4:40 Verdi: String Quartet in E minor** [21:24]11. I. Allegro 7:0912. II. Andantino 7:0113. III. Prestissimo 3:1514. IV. Scherzo Fuga. Allegro assai mosso 3:59