Simpson: String Quartets Nos. 3 & 6; Trio for strings

These chamber works nearly cover Simpson's entire life as a composer. The dates are 1954 for the Third String Quartet, 1975 for the Third String Quartet, and 1987 for the String Trio. Simpson's string music tends to be intimate and intense, perhaps a bit standoffish the way Bartók's later quartets can be. The Third String Quartet has a traditional design and unfolds predictably. In the Sixth String Quartet, Simpson uses Beethoven's Razumovsky Quartets as a model, though Beethoven would be the last composer to come to mind. The String Trio (Prelude, Adagio, and Fugue) is more propulsive, more representative of Simpson's mature style. Interesting and intelligent. --Paul Cook