The string quartet is a genre that was neglected by few great composers of the Romantic era, and the Czech masters contributed a number of significant works to its international repertoire.

Smetana’s quartet “From My Life,” Dvorák’s “American” quartet and Janácek’s “Intimate Letters” rank among the mature works of their composers and have become essential repertoire for quartets throughout the world.

Furthermore, Dvorák and Suk founded an uninterrupted interpretational tradition which gave rise to a number of world-famous Czech ensembles.

A direct line of descent can be traced from the Smetana Quartet, which has performed Smetana’s music on hundreds of concert stages, to the Panocha Quartet, which has recorded a highly esteemed recording of the complete Dvorák quartets, and also to the Škampa Quartet, whose Janácek seethes with inimitable raw energy.

This compilation offers the best known works of the Czech quartet repertoire performed by the greatest masters of the art.