Janácek's 2nd String Quartet Intimate Letters is regarded as a highlight of the modern string quartet literature. It was written during the composer?s last year of life between 29 January and 19 February 1928 inspired by the ageing Janáèek's exceptional love for Kamila Stösslová. The Moravian Quartet devoted themselves to this impressive work; Janácek attended a total of three of their rehearsals in May and June 1928. This had several consequences including his abandoning his original idea of using a viola d'amore. After Janácek's unexpected death (12 August 1928) the uncertain genesis of the work became the greatest problem of the IntimateLetters : the surviving copies were not definitively authorised. The editors of this new edition have reverted to Janácek's autograph sketches as the main most reliable source and using these as a basis have reconstructed the work as it stood at the point of Janácek's death. The musical text taken from the Critical Complete Edition of the Works of Leo? Janácek (Vol. E/4) therefore contains clear differences in comparison with older editions.

The volume of trios for advanced players mainly offers a selection from works of the most prominent and most popular composers (Bach, Händel, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven). Of special interest are extracts of Beethoven's variations composed on the famous theme of Mozart's Don Giovanni, Fughetta by Robert Schumann and Dream by the less well-known composer Benjamin Godard. / Quatuor A Cordes

The third in the series of ten Quartets commissioned by the Naxos recording company. First performed at Wigmore Hall London in Oct 2003 by the Maggini Quartet. A convenient miniature-sized version of the score intended forstudy.

This work was commissioned by the Naxos Recording Company and is the fifth in a series of ten quartets. It was first performed on 20th October 2004 at the Wigmore Hall London by the Maggini Quartet.

This work was commissioned by the Naxos Recording Company and is the fifth in a series of ten quartets. It was first performed on 20th October 2004 at the Wigmore Hall London by the Maggini Quartet.