Alfredo Aracil (Madrid, 1954) is one of the principal creators of the Spanish contemporary music panorama. Having studied with such masters as Marco, Bernaola, Halffter, Stockhausen and Kagel, the composer from Madrid has effectively combined his impressive creative facet with teaching and artistic planning for many prestigious national and international cultural institutions.

Chamber music undeniable occupies an important place in Aracil’s oeuvre. The four string quartets, which are here stunningly interpreted by the members of the Bretón Quartet, evidence an elegance and extraordinary subtlety in the approach to the complex polyphonic fabric of the four instruments. The classical esthetic of the string quartet is combined, mixed, fused and alternates with a solid, particularly innovative and avant-garde artistic language. The ample chronological frame of these works, written between 1975 and 2010, also allows us to observe the interesting process of maturation and evolution Aracil has experienced in the nearly four decades of his impeccable artistic trajectory.

Performances by:
Cuarteto Bretón
Anne Marie North, violín
Antonio Cárdenas, violín
Iván Martín, viola
John Stokes, violonchelo

Contents:

CD Audio:
Cuarteto 3 (18:18)
Música de Cámara (cuarteto 1)
Mov. 1 (5:44)
Mov. II (6:13)
Mov. III (4:25)

Cuarteto 2
Mov. I (6:31)
Mov. II (3:37)

Cuarteto 4 (Figura ante el espejo)
Mov. I (4:28)
Mov. II (3:16)
Mov. III (1:05)
Mov. IV (4:22)
Mov. V (0:45)
Mov. VI (3: 53)

Total time: 62:43