Arnold Krug, a contemporary of Brahms, is almost entirely forgotten today- unjustifiably so, as is amply proved by the two pieces of chamber music on this recording. He was a familiar figure in popular concert guides until well into the 1930s. In Wilhelm Altmann’s ‘Handbuch fur Streichquartettspieler (1929), for example, we read the following words on the String Sextet by this ‘subtle Hamburg composer’: “Though Krug’s Sextet by no means stands out with particular idiosyncrasy, it can hold its own with flying colors. In point of melody and sound the most successful movement is the deeply felt Adagio tranquillo, interrupted by an urgent and dramatic interlude in which yet another Tranquillo, almost doleful and certainly imploring, has been interpolated.” Successful, fresh, exhilarating- and for more than 40 years! Thus the adjectives heaped on the Linos Ensemble, over and over again. This is more than just the result of the ensemble’s busy schedule. It is also due to the common efforts they make to renew their interpretations, and their unwavering pleasure in newly discovered scores.
