Brisk but maudlin, these early chamber works by Frank Bridge will only be of intense interest to those who need to hear the youthful works of a third-rank English composer from the first half of the twentieth century. The
Bridge Quartet is a superb ensemble with poise, passion, and power, and one never senses that the musicians are giving any less than their very best to their performances. Meridian has recorded these performances in warm, rich, and real sound, and one never senses that anymore could be done for the music than has already been done. But while the String Quartet in B flat major from 1900 and the String Quintet in E minor from 1901 are themselves well-crafted and heartfelt, they are still the works of a not-yet-22-year-old and, from the evidence of these works, still somewhat callow composer. Anyone eager to know what the mature composer of the Third and Fourth Quartets was writing as a student at the Royal College of Music will have to hear these performances, and while they will be grateful that the music is so well-played and well-recorded, everyone else will probably find it pleasant but forgettable.