String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2

A virtuoso pianist of the Liszt school who came to play both Brahms piano concerto with the composer on the podium, Eugen D'Albert (1864-1932) is undoubtedly best known as a composer for his early 20th c. opera Tiefland. His two string quartets, full of lovely, striking ideas, further reveal a decided, if expected, Brahmsian influence with a suitable degree of individual, surprising ideas that caused some at the time, including the influential critic Eduard Hanslick, to offer his praise. This newly reissued recording of these works by the Sarastro Quartet dates originally to 1996.