A highly attractive selection of early Italian string quartets by Felice Giardini (1716-1796), Maddallena Sirmen (1745-1818), Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805) and Gaetano Pugnani (1731-1798). Shimmering strings and effortless stylishness: Scintilla is the early Italian string quartet. It is the spark of the Enlightenment, the brilliance of galant taste, and the beginnings of the genius idea that is the string quartet. These early quartets were written in the 18th century by Italian composers who enjoyed international careers. All of the composers featured in Scintilla were famous violin virtuosi, with the exception of Boccherini, who was a cellist. Their works are characterized by cantabile melodies and elegant ornamentation. The Butter Quartet consists of Anna Jane Lester, Chloe Prendergast, Isabel Franenberg, and Evan Buttar. They came together in 2017 during their studies at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague and immediately discovered shared musical values, a powerful and joyful dynamic, and a passion for historically-informed performances of string quartets.