This new three CD set from cpo contains eight string quartets by the German composer Friedrich Ernst Fesca performed by the Diogenes Quartet. Fesca (1789-1826) was a virtuoso violinist, for a period holding the Concertmaster position in the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. It seems his first love...

The three works on this CD span the entire career of Miklós Rózsa, from his String Trio, Op. 1 to his final work in the chamber music genre, String Quartet No. 2, Opus 38. The String Quartet No. 1 was written in 1950, roughly mid-way through Rózsa’s career. His compositional style,...

While there are many similarities between the music of Mikołaj Górecki and that of his father, Henryk, the younger Górecki has clearly (and in all likelihood, with a purpose) developed his own distinct sound, producing highly nuanced, interesting and compelling music. This title from the...

The Birth of the Violin explores the earliest repertoire for the emerging ‘vyolon’ during the first half of the sixteenth century. On this Ricecar album, both sacred and secular examples are presented, in polyphonic settings of three and four parts, or with the violin appearing as...

The third album from the small Flora label to be recommended on Expedition Audio is this program devoted entirely to the music of early baroque composer John Jenkins titled The Pleasing Slumber; it’s subtitled Aires for a Treble, Lyra, Base and Harpsecord (sic). The performances are by...

Coming from Naxos’ growing Spanish Classics line is this new recording of String Quartets nos. 1 & 2 by Jesús Guridi. These two fine chamber works are performed by the Bretón String Quartet, themselves formed with the express purpose of expanding the recorded catalog of quartets...