Boccherini / Northern Consort 5 Quintets CD

Luigi Boccherini occupies a special place in cellists' hearts: he must have been a phenomenal player, and, happily, he was also a composer. His exceptional knowledge of the technical possibilities of the cello helped him create a completely knew sound-palette This is particularly evident in his chamber music, with it's splendid vocalic lines, often revealing an undertone of melancholy, combined with impressive virtuosity, and with a wink or a smile appearing now and then from under the surface. The settings are very varied: not only calling for two celli, but also for two violas, and for a wide variety of solo instruments with string quartet: violin, oboe and guitar.