Next comes the A minor Violin Sonata, which not only is the latest, but also is the most substantial work here. With its broad, modal themes and episodic developmental sequences it stands as vintage late-Vaughan Williams. Finally we have the 1943 String Quartet No. 2, a work whose dramatic profile and emotional intensity reflect the wartime era during which it was composed. The Nash Ensemble's sensitive, keenly focused, and beautifully played renderings fully realize all the disparate elements, from the terse to the transcendent, that comprise this beguiling music. Hyperion's recording presents each instrumental grouping in a solid three-dimensional sound image with realistic dynamic range, making this exploration of the non-orchestral side of Vaughan Williams an aural delight you'll want to regularly revisit. [10/5/2002]