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) 6:00
2. Minuetto I (Moderato) 3:39
3. Minuetto II (Allegretto) 2:38
4. Minuetto III (Assai mosso) 2:50
5. Scherzo in A minor (Allegro vivo) 0:58
6. Allegro moderato (Quartet in D major) 7:55

Cherubini: String Quartet No.1 in Eb major** [33:06]
7. I. Adagio – Allegro agitato 12:24
8. II. Larghetto sans lenteur 9:08
9. III. Scherzo. Allegretto moderato 6:53
10. IV. Finale. Allegro assai 4:40

Verdi: String Quartet in E minor** [21:24]
11. I. Allegro 7:09
12. II. Andantino 7:01
13. III. Prestissimo 3:15
14. IV. Scherzo Fuga. Allegro assai mosso 3:59