On Shakespeare's sceptered isle the approach to Bach has remained fairly consistent among period specialists. Trevor Pinnock and the English Concert were among the first to digitally record the Brandenburgs on period instruments, and their 1982 readings have remained staples of the catalog. Animated, though still very English in their wholesomeness and avoidance of color, these accounts feature predictably good work from violinist Simon Standage and such stalwarts as flutist Lisa Beznosiuk and the ubiquitous Mr. Pinnock. They also boast excellent sound (the venue was Henry Wood Hall), even if the harpsichord in Concerto No. 5 is so prominent as to be dis-concerting. —Ted Libbey

On Shakespeare's sceptered isle the approach to Bach has remained fairly consistent among period specialists. Trevor Pinnock and the English Concert were among the first to digitally record the Brandenburgs on period instruments, and their 1982 readings have remained staples of the catalog. Animated, though still very English in their wholesomeness and avoidance of color, these accounts feature predictably good work from violinist Simon Standage and such stalwarts as flutist Lisa Beznosiuk and the ubiquitous Mr. Pinnock. They also boast excellent sound (the venue was Henry Wood Hall), even if the harpsichord in Concerto No. 5 is so prominent as to be dis-concerting. —Ted Libbey

Three of the greatest opera composers from the 19th and early 20th centuries are heard on this recording in their only works for string quartet. Richard Strauss's String Quartet in A major is a youthful work which shows the classical influence of Haydn, while Puccini's Crisantemi, Three Minuets in A Major, is a brief elegy charged with great emotional intensity. Verdi's String Quartet in E minor is his only significant chamber work, written at the age of sixty when he was at the height of his fame. The Enso Quartet's GRAMMY®-nominated recording of Ginastera's complete quartets (8.570780) was acclaimed by MusicWeb International for "string quartet playing of jawdropping prowess".

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