Mendelssohn’s quartets have been receiving a good bit of attention on disc, and for good reason. They are the finest works in their medium between Beethoven and Dvořák, and one of them, the F minor quartet Op. 80, just might be Mendelssohn’s finest instrumental work in any form.More consistent in quality than his symphonies, elegant and shapely, these quartets deserve much wider exposure, and no set makes a better case for them than this one.The sound quality is extremely natural, warm, and present, with remarkably little extraneous performance noise – in short, an essential set for lovers of great chamber music and great quartet playing. CD 1STRING QUARTET IN E-FLAT MAJOR (1823)Allegro moderato 7’28Adagio non troppo 6’22Menuetto and Trio 5’33Fuga 3’25 STRING QUARTET NO. 2 IN A MINOR, OP. 13 (1827)Adagio – Allegro vivace 7’46Adagio non lento 6’49Intermezzo : Allegretto con moto 4’44Presto – Adagio non lento 9’51 STRING QUARTET NO. 1 IN E-FLAT MAJOR, OP. 12 (1829)Adagio non troppo – Allegro non tardante 7’59Canzonetta : Allegretto 3’36Andante espressivo 4’20Molto allegro e vivace 7’36 CD 2STRING QUARTET NO. 4 IN E MINOR, OP. 44 NO. 2 (1837)Allegro assai appassionato 6’58Scherzo : Allegro di molto 3’40Andante 6’49Presto agitato 5’58 STRING QUARTET NO. 5 IN E-FLAT MAJOR, OP. 44 NO. 3 (1838)Allegro vivace 8’51Scherzo : Assai leggiero vivace 4’12Adagio non troppo 8’39Molto allegro con fuoco 8’25 STRING QUARTET NO. 3 IN D MAJOR, OP. 44 NO. 1 (1838)Molto allegro vivace 9’01Menuetto : un poco allegretto 5’34Andante espressivo ma con moto 5′ 21Presto con brio 6’33 CD 3STRING QUARTET NO. 6 IN F MINOR, OP. 80 (1847)Allegro vivace assai 6’43Allegro assai 4’02Adagio 7’15Finale : Allegro molto 5’32 4 PIECES FOR STRING QUARTET, OP. 81 (1827-1847)Andante en Mi major 5’03Scherzo en La mineur 3’24Capriccio en Mi mineur 5’35Fuga en Mi bémol majeur 6’02
