Bruckner's Quintet is an odd piece, even for this composer. The Adagio of course is beautiful, and it sounds especially lovely in this tender, flowing performance. The rest, well, if you like Bruckner, you'll like it--but there are occasions, such as the coda of the finale, where the music's attempt to impersonate its equivalent moment in the Seventh Symphony is comical. Here the Fine Arts Quartet is a touch less impressive, with first violinist Ralph Evans unwilling to give up his espressivo phrasing in music that should be played with robotic precision (it's just tremolos and arpeggios, after all). Nevertheless, this is a minor point in what otherwise is a wholly recommendable performance. The early (1862) String Quartet in C minor is basically a composition exercise devoid of personality, though of course it's pleasant enough, and very well played here; but the Intermezzo (a substitute movement for the Quintet) is lovely, and the Rondo in C minor (for quartet) fills out the disc to bring the playing time up to 79-plus minutes. Self-recommending for Bruckner fans or chamber music lovers looking to fill a gap in their collections.

--David Hurwitz