Respighi: String Quartet in Dorian mode (Quartetto dorico)

Like most of the musical forms that blossomed in the 18th century (the sonata for solo and continuo, trio sonata, concerto and symphony), the string quartet began its glorious parabola in Italy but bore its ripest fruits beyond the Alps, reaching an apex in the production of the great Austro-German classical composers, Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven in the forefront. Quite a few Italian composers, however, also gave original contributions to this genre. The present 10-CD box set offers a panoramic view of quartet music in Italy, from Boccherini’s elegant classical writing, to Malipiero’s controversial stance against Romanticism, passing through Bazzini, Verdi, Puccini and Respighi. Performers are the internationally renowned Quartetto di Venezia.