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