Ivor Hodgson: String Quintets Nos. 1 & 2; String Septet No. 1

SOMM Recordings continues its close partnership with the distinguished mixed-instrument ensemble I Musicanti in a release of chamber music for strings by the British composer Ivor Hodgson. I Musicanti and its founding artistic director, internationally renowned double bass virtuoso and conductor Leon Bosch, share with SOMM a commitment to artistic enterprise. Their collaboration, combining advocacy, scholarship, and performance at the highest level, has built a distinctive and critically acclaimed discography.

Hodgson’s 2025 SOMM debut featured his first Piano Quintet performed by I Musicanti and Peter Donohoe on a release of British Piano Quintets [SOMMCD 0707]. This new release features three of his chamber works: his String Quintet No. 1, “Sonata da chiesa;” String Quintet No. 2, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star;” and String Septet No. 1, “The Women of Gairsay.”

Although Hodgson has composed a great variety of music in all genres, it is perhaps chamber music that lies closest to his heart, and the three significant works on this release are indicative of his inherent mastery of the genre. His proficiency is fully demonstrated in his earliest composition, the String Quintet No.1, “Sonata da chiesa,” which takes its name from the musical form that emerged in Italy at the beginning of the 17th century. Hodgson’s sonata is in three movements: “Come una chiesa” (Like a Church); “Processione;” and “Pregare” (To Pray). The composer displays his structural and expressive command in music that finds depth in what might at first appear to be quite simple material.