String Quartets

Leonard Salzedo (1921 - 2000) was born in London, studied at the Royal College of Music and lived in the south east of England all his life. A talented violinist, he was a member of the London Philharmonic and then the Royal Philharmonic Orchestras but later turned his hand to conducting. A prolific composer all his life, Salzedo wrote for a multitude of genres, from unaccompanied works to symphonies, large film scores and ballet. Salzedo was particularly proud of his String Quartets (of which there are 10). Unsurprisingly, his String Quartets are very listenable and indeed fascinating, revealing Salzedo's Sephardic Jewish ancestry and indeed a distinct influence of Sibelius, whose music he adored. These quartets are a must for any listener who enjoys string quartets and indeed English music with a distinctive and engaging voice. All works on this album are world premiere recordings and are performed with great character by the excellent Archaeus Quartet, great advocates of Salzedo's music.