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Britain's longest-running chamber music ensemble, sustained over six decades by successive generations of high quality international performers, was founded in 1953 by Eli Goren, William Pleeth, Patrick Ireland and James Barton. The current members are Ofer Falk, violin, Rafael Todes, violin, Dorothea Vogel, viola and Vanessa Lucas-Smith, cello.
Since 1964 the quartet has given more than sixty first performances, including specially commissioned works by leading composers such as Alexander Goehr, James MacMillan, Jonathan Harvey, Colin Matthews, John Woolrich and Alec Roth.
CD Spotlight. Solace to Listeners - Patrick Maxwell listens to a box set of John Barbirolli's Elgar recordings for Warner Classics. '... a musical artefact which still tells us how Britain's most famous composer really can sound like ...'
Ensemble. Rather Extraordinary - Alec Roth's new string quartet, enjoyed by Keith Bramich
CD Spotlight. Quiet but Clear - Beethoven's Op 18 String Quartets, heard by Andrew Schartmann. '... the Allegri's light touch works.'
Ensemble. Compellingly Memorable - Haydn, Shostakovich and Schubert from the Allegri Quartet, reviewed by Mike Wheeler
CD Spotlight. A Vigorous Spirit - Music by Matthew Taylor, heard by Patric Standford. '... skill and personality in equal measures ...'