Before his 30th birthday, the year in which his first opera Der Rubin had its premiere, d’Albert composed two string quartets, in 1886 and 1893, his only chamber music works. Following the success of the concertante performance of the Sarastro Quartet, and reports on its effect on the public at the time of its composition, it is surprising that it is performed so rarely nowadays. The Quartet no. 2 in E flat major, op. 11 is dedicated “in reverence” to Brahms. In his letter of thanks, Brahms points out the similarity to the beginning of Beethoven’s last E flat major String Quartet, op. 127. The Andante con moto shows d’Albert to be a master of organised, polyphonic composition. Even more than in the first quartet, his mature feeling for form unites with his inventive sensitivity in the development of a fundamental idea and compositional strength.