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The Maggini Quartet return to Norway every summer for their annual concert and coaching visit organised by the Norwegian Chamber Music Society. Their time is divided between Nansenskolen, near Lillehammer, and Sund folkehogskole, near Trondheim. The Strad magazine published a major article on the Maggini's visit in the December issue Download The Magginis have recently performed in Spain, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Future European visits include touring in Germany in 2013.
The Maggini Quartet are renowned for their authoritative interpretations of English chamber music. Their ongoing series of concerts and recordings for Naxos, 'The Glory of the English String Quartet', celebrates the rich and diverse English string quartet repertoire, much of which has sadly fallen into neglect over the last century. Using their unparalleled experience in this repertoire, the Maggini Quartet offer carefully devised all-English or mixed programmes of classical quartets alongside English works to suit every occasion and venue. Celebrating Frank Bridge at Turner Sims Concert Hall, Southampton The Maggini Quartet is currently programming Frank Bridge, a composer the players greatly admire and whose work has been unjustly neglected. The four string quartets are amongst the finest written in the 20th century and the Maggini has already recorded them for Naxos's award winning British Music series. 'These are exemplary, scrupulously prepared readings from the Magginis', wrote Andrew Achenbach for Gramophone, where the recordings were CD of the Month and Editor's Choice, with Bridge 1 & 3 also nominated for a Grammy Award. Now Turner Sims Concert Hall at Southampton University is hosting an innovative three-concert series featuring all four Bridge Quartets. The first concert on 17th May included Bridge Quartets Nos 2 and 3, and was enthusiastically received. Andrew Clements, writing in the Guardian, says of the Magginis' performance, "Their lucid presentation of both large-scale structure and rhythmic and harmonic detail was exemplary." The performance was generously supported by the Radcliffe Trust. The Quartet will be returning to Turner Sims on 13th October (featuring Bridge No.4 with Haydn and Elgar) and 24th November (Bridge No.1 with works by Britten and Vauthan Williams' 'On Wenlock Edge'). Touring with John Ireland's Sextet In February the Magginis were joined by Robert Plane (clarinet) and Stephen Sterling (horn) for a series of concerts in Northern England featuring Ireland's magnificient Sextet. The performances were all very well received and the players much enjoyed the tour; they would like to thank the John Ireland Trust for the generous support which made this tour possible.
The Maggini Quartet are delighted with the progress of their exciting and diverse residency at Old Palace of John Whitgift School in Croydon. This has developed under the dynamic leadership of Director of Music Gareth Hemmings, whose association with the Magginis dates to their popular concerts at Kingston Grammar School when he was working there. Now at Old Palace the range of Maggini activities is considerably more varied, including a series of internal and public concerts which encourage pupils to take up and keep playing instruments and working closely with music groups within the school. The Quartet have also participated in a major dance project in the spring. Cellist Michal Kaznowski says on behalf of the Magginis: Inspired by specialist lighting at the Mazer in Stockholm, the Maggini's four-armed standard lamp was made for them by renowned restorer and cabinet maker Martin Huggett and is regularly used to light the players' music at performances. The Maggini Quartet are grateful to Stentor Music Co Ltd for supporting their educational activities. This is enabling them to schedule some additional visits to schools, sharing their commitment to chamber music with pupils of all ages and abilities. |
what the critics said
"This is surely music that will grow in stature, especially thorough these committed performances" "the Magginis clearly love this music, playing it with the understanding and finesse it deserves" "a superbly integrated reading of the absorbing (Rubbra) Second Quartet" "a gripping final instalment in Max's Naxos odyssey" "the Naxos cycle is a 21st century landmark" "the Maggini perform with the no-holds-barred commitment and technical acumen we have come to expect from them throughout this massive project. Spendidly rich sound and a most truthful balance, too" "the Maggini's performance is full of conviction and the recording balances clarity and atmosphere to something like perfection" "the Magginis play with inspired insight" "the Maggini Quartet make it wonderfully plausible and leave no doubt about the creative fire behind it" "these performances are simply magnificent" "go and hear these players" "such nerve-shredding intensity that one dare hardly breath" "theirs is music-making of entrancing skill, cogent drive and tangible dedication" "a wonderful blend of radiance "delivered with the Maggini Quartet's typical thrust and passion" "technically precise and fabulously idiomatic" "immaculate control of the dramatically fluctuating dynamics" |
