Mendelssohn’s quartets have been receiving a good bit of attention on disc, and for good reason. They are the finest works in their medium between Beethoven and Dvorák, and one of them, the F minor quartet Op. 80, just might be Mendelssohn’s finest instrumental work in any form. More consistent in quality than his symphonies, elegant and shapely, these quartets deserve much wider exposure: no set makes a better case for them than this one. The sound quality is extremely natural, warm, and present, with remarkably little extraneous performance noise – in short, an essential set for lovers of great chamber music and great quartet playing.

La Dolce Volta has acquired part of the back catalogue of the prestigious Calliope label. These recordings will be gradually remastered in high definition and reissued in luxurious 'clamshell' 3CD sets. The silver-laminated illustrations are based upon late 19th-century photographs.