These quartets were written by Arriaga in Paris during 1824, when the composer was but 18 years old. He would die in 1826, just 10 days short of his 20th birthday. It is interesting, if perhaps unproductive, to conjecture just what a young artist's future might have been had he lived longer. One thing is certain: these quartets, along with Arriaga's symphony and short opera, sound like more than mere student works, so there is surely a good possibility that the young man would have gone places. Arriaga is sometimes called "the Spanish Mozart", no doubt because he was born on the 50th anniversary of Mozart's birth and because of his precocious talent; but his music reminds one more of Mendelssohn, Beethoven, or any one of several Romantic composers. It has a distinctly Spanish character in the use of harmony and rhythmic devices, and there are some strikingly original sections, such as the theme and variations movement of the second quartet. Overall the music is gracious and appealing, well worth more than a casual listen. These 1985 performances have been out before, and are now reissued, but apparently not re-mastered. They are fine readings, full of grace, and played with enthusiasm and flair. The sound, though, is a bit constricted and not entirely realistic, never letting us forget that we're listening to a recording.

--Rad Bennett