DVORAK: SEXTET; STRING QUARTETS OP. 77 & 97, "AMERICAN" QUINTET; BAGATELLES - VIENNA OCTET; JANACEK QUARTET

This recording forms part of a series of 10 reissues celebrating the glorious Decca recordings from the 1950s-1970s of the Wiener Oktett (Vienna Octet), made up of key principals from the Wiener Philharmoniker and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Five titles were released in September and the remaining five are released this month.

The Vienna Octet recorded just three works by Dvorák – two String Quintets and the A major String Sextet – all of which are included here. They are here coupled with his most popular String Quartet, the so-called ‘American’ in a performance by the Janáček Quartet that has never been out of the catalogue, and a first release on CD, the Bagatelles for the unusual combination of two violins, cello and harmonium – delightful little pieces with the Vienna Philharmonia Quintet’s recording here receiving its first release on CD.

Tully Potter’s informative liner notes focus on both, the music and the musicians on this anthology.

"All recommendable: there is a beautifully poised rendition of Dvorak's String Sextet and the players are persuasively idiomatic in the American Quartet and Quintet" - BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE

"the finest and best recorded performance" - GRAMOPHONE