Schubert / Festetics Quartet String Quartets 46 & 804 CD

Celebrated for their only complete recording of Haydn's string quartets on period instruments, the Festetics Quartet also tackled the world of Schubert, by matching two quartets which since the very first bars depict the twilit, death-haunted atmosphere which is one of the areas peculiar to his imagination. The Festetics Quartet, one of Europe's most accomplished period instrument quartets, was founded in Budapest in 1982. While the group's repertoire embraces the complete quartets of Mozart and many of Beethoven and Schubert's quartets, the group has a special affinity for the quartets of Haydn. They have been widely praised for their perception and unity of style, and the ensemble performs regularly in Hungary and throughout Europe.