Album

Decidedly the only significant Romantic-era composer to emerge from Australia, Alfred Hill seemed to try to make up for the lack of fellow countrymen by producing a staggering collection of more than 2,000 works. Of these, seventeen string quartets spanned nearly the entire length of Hill's protracted career. Though they very easily could have slipped into oblivion, the New Zealand-based Dominion String Quartet has taken up the project to record all seventeen of the quartets on the Naxos label. While Volume 1 focused on the earlier quartets that had the unique characteristic of incorporating Maori folk elements into his music (following the lead of Dvorak and other Nationalistic composers), the present installment, Volume 3, seems more based on Hill's interest in mimicking the styles of other composers, particularly the Impressionists. These three quartets are every bit as thoughtfully and skillfully composed as the earlier quartets, but lack the same sense of originality, making them accessible and enjoyable but somewhat bland and lacking in depth. For their part, the Dominion Quartet puts their best foot forward in their efforts to bring life to Hill's works. Their playing is well-refined, nicely-balanced, and clearly-articulated. Their warm, homogenous sound and Naxos's fine recording of it makes for another pleasurable installment.

© All Music Guide

CD 1
Alfred Hill Composer String Quartet No.5 in Eb, 'The Allies' Work Recorded 2007 29:08 Dominion Quartet String Quartet
1	1. "Artistic". Allegro risoluto: Andantino	8:53			$1.49
2	2. "Syncopated". Intermezzo - Allegro moderato	4:55			$0.99
3	3. "Romantic". Romance	8:04			$1.49
4	4. "Nautical". Finale: Allegretto	7:16			$1.49
Alfred Hill Composer String Quartet No.7 in A Work Recorded 2008 20:40 Dominion Quartet String Quartet
5	1.Maestoso: Allegro moderato	6:40			$0.99
6	2.Intermezzo - Allegretto	4:38			$0.99
7	3.Andante	4:32			$0.99
8	4.Finale: Allegro	4:50			$0.99
Alfred Hill Composer String Quartet No.9 in A- Work Recorded 2008 23:16 Dominion Quartet String Quartet
9	1.Adagio: Allegro	6:53			$0.99
10	2.Andantino	5:01			$0.99
11	3.Scherzo	3:56			$0.99
12	4.Finale: Maestoso	7:26			$1.49