Wiren Quartet - Dag Wir�n: String Quartets Nos. 2 - 5

The tapestry of drama, refinement and expressive lyricism in Dag Wir�n's four string quartets (the First Quartet was withdrawn) provides a substantial overview of his musical evolution over 35 years. His earlier works are more accessible than challenging, as demonstrated by the relaxed and affirmative Second and Third Quartets. The Fourth Quartet is more sombre, with nods towards Sibelius and Shostakovich, and in the Fifth, completed not long before Wir�n's retirement as a composer, the easy confidence of the earlier quartets has been replaced by a mood of pessimism and uncertainty.