Ian Stephens: Chamber Music
Divine Art

It would be hard to imagine higher praise for composer Ian Stephens (b. 1974) than that offered by violist Alan George, with the Fitzwilliam String Quartet member stating, “In his hands the string quartet is allowed to breathe, blossom, and resonate; and he is inherently alive to all the shades, nuances, and colours of which four stringed instruments—and a clarinet—are capable.” That latter clarification presumably pertains to Stephens' Clarinet Quintet, one of five chamber works performed on this release by George and his Fitzwilliam colleagues (violinists Lucy Russell and Andrew Roberts, and cellist Heather Tuach and Ursula Smith splitting the cello chair), with clarinetist Mandy Burvill and oboist Jonathan Small the featured soloists in their respective quintets.

In addition to the qualities highlighted by George, Stephens' music is distinguished by melodic invention, fluid motion, formal clarity, and rhythmic vitality. There's a cerebral dimension, certainly, but emotional expressiveness and theatrical flair too, with a judicious balance struck between them. The lyrical ache of traditional folk emerges also, perhaps most directly in the gentle Celtic Elegy, a short yet nonetheless potent scene-setter. The respect Stephens has for musical lineage is palpably felt in these performances; at the same time, he's wholly capable of asserting his own voice and not letting his imagination be restricted by tradition. The Devon-raised composer studied at the University of Bristol, established a longstanding relationship with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and now teaches at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester. While chamber works are a key part of his output, his range of interests is broad, as indicated by the titles of his ballets Ella's Big Chance: A Jazz Age Cinderella and Pinocchio.

Burvill and Tuach introduce the seventy-four-minute recording with the lovely Celtic Elegy, written by Stephens as a poignant homage to the music of the Celtic lands. Drawing for inspiration from the Irish air “She Moved Through the Fair,” the composition establishes its own identity in the yearning clarinet melody Stephens crafted for it and the cello's bagpipes-like drones and accompaniment. He wrote the string quartet Springhead Echoes in 2017 in memory of Rosalind Richards, a violinist with whom Burvill and the composer (on double bass) performed at her Dorset home in 1999 and with whom the Fitzwilliam Quartet enjoyed a long relationship; similarly, the Clarinet Quintet was composed in 2017 in memory of Rosalind's husband, Brian, an accomplished clarinetist. After asking her daughter if there were any particular pieces to which he might allude in his piece for Rosalind, Stephens selected Brahms' Violin Sonata No.1 in G major, with each of the three movements weaving into its form material from the sonata. Applying the idea again, Stephens asked the Richards family if there were pieces Brian particularly loved and subsequently worked bits from “O welche Lust” from Beethoven's Fidelio into each movement. An affecting Brahms-derived theme initiates the first movement of Springhead Echoes, but the abrupt shift from that restrained gesture to animated ones reflects its “Tranquillo – Con moto” marking (note the rather Fratres-like passage at the movement's centre). The sinuous opening part's supplanted by the jig-like moves of the “Vivo” movement, its buoyancy bolstered by polyrhythmic plucking that helps animate the bowed expressions. Interestingly, Stephens concludes the work with an adagio, though the choice makes sense given the memorial aspect of the piece. Indicative of his approach, heartfelt tenderness is expressed, but care is taken to ensure the material doesn't lapse into sentimentality.

Positioned between the string quartet pieces, the Clarinet Quintet begins with a spirited "Con moto” movement, the timbral contrast between the woodwind and the strings clearly delineated. Burvill glides gracefully over the strings but also impresses when a stirring clarinet cadenza, softly accompanied by the quartet, emerges towards the movement's end. Eschewing the standard fast-slow-fast format, the piece substitutes an “Agitato” for an “Adagio” movement, even if there are relaxed moments that offset the expected energized ones. A dream-like quality informs the closing movement, with Stephens granting the clarinetist long, flowing melodies and the music in general a soothing, restful tone. The second string quartet setting, North Country, finds Stephens re-imagining the folk tune “The Oak and the Ash” across three movements. A rustic folk character is established in the opening part, aptly marked “Lilting” to accentuate its spirit-replenishing sway. The subsequent “Heartfelt” movement blossoms from a gentle dirge-like intro into a jaunty dance tune that grows ever more impassioned before returning to its quieter beginnings. A dramatic left turn takes place when the canon-styled closing movement (“With abandon”) flirts with Latin-American rhythms and an almost Piazzolla-like feel.

Revisiting the memorial theme a final time, Stephens composed the Oboe Quintet in 2014 as a tribute to the late oboists David Dutch and Monica Nurnberg, well-known figures in Liverpool's amateur music scene. In the mercurial opening movement (“Senza misura – Agitato – Vivace”), Small's expressive oboe appears alone before the strings enter to flesh out the sound world and proceed to the first of many joyous dance episodes. Lyrical passages alternate with rousing rhythmic ones, with, again, contrast between the woodwind and strings pronounced. The central “Passacaglia” pulls for inspiration from Johann Sebastian Bach's “Ich habe genug” and exudes the kind of dignity and grace one might expect. The clarity of its expression belies the intricacy of its writing (there are seven sections, each in a different time signature), with the natural sinuosity of the oboe showcased throughout. Rather than include with a lament, the work ends with rousing rustic dance passages, though again, in keeping with its “Molto vivace – Adagio – Molto vivace” marking, a gentle section is worked into its centre.

April 2025