Carlo Martelli: String Quartets I & II, Terzetto, Prelude and Fugue

The Pavão Quartet's impressive 14-year journey has so far included a Grammy Award, 5-star reviews, worldwide radio play, Classical no.1s, Royalty, rock stars, and taken them to both the Wigmore Hall and the Wailing Wall. Their disc of quartets by Bax and Elgar was welcomed as ‘a real winner’ from ‘an ensemble of real depth and musical distinction’ (Classic FM Magazine), with ‘plenty of energy, precision and clarity’ (BBC Music Magazine). Music Web christened it disc of the month, ‘an unqualified success – a real must-have!’ Their Christmas CD has been played extensively on Classic FM, ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’ is regularly played on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 2, and their ‘Dreaming’ CD is popular on classical radio stations in the Netherlands, Canada, USA, Singapore and Australia. The Pavãos are delighted to have at last recorded some of Carlo Martelli’s original chamber music, since it was a collection of his wonderfully inventive arrangements of ‘The Great American Songbook’ that launched their recording career. Martelli studied with William Lloyd Webber and Ralph Vaughan Williams at the Royal College of Music. His Symphony was premiered by the London Symphony Orchestra in the Royal Festival Hall and was released in 2011.Throughout the 1950s he produced a series of well-crafted compositions, among which may be numbered the two string quartets and Terzetto for two violins and viola, featured on this disc. Martelli’s String Quartet no.2 has been widely played and critically acclaimed. Its recorded debut presented here is particularly welcome and should serve to win the work many new admirers.