A virtuoso pianist of the Liszt school who came to play both Brahms piano concerto with the composer on the podium, Eugen D’Albert (1864-1932) is undoubtedly best known as a composer for his early 20th c. opera Tiefland. • His two string quartets, full of lovely, striking ideas, further reveal a decided, if expected, Brahmsian influence with a suitable degree of individual, surprising ideas that caused some at the time, including the influential critic Eduard Hanslick, to offer his praise. • This newly reissued recording of these works by the Sarastro Quartet dates originally to 1996.
