Amaryllis Quartett - Fesca: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 2 (2021)

Since Friedrich Ernst Fesca, the father of Alexander Fesca, had received an excellent education as a violinist, it is not surprising that his masterfully elaborated string quartets contributed significantly to the establishment of his outstanding reputation as a composer. Until 1818 he published a total of twelve quartets, and two others followed in 1819 and then again in 1824-25. For a decade Fesca was one of the most-reviewed quartet composers, and it is documented that he was one of the most performed such composers for an even longer period of time.

On this second volume the quality and originality of his string quartets again are revealed above all in the balance with which he combines mellow harmony, contrapuntal expertise, and formally integrated virtuosity. The eight quartets are interpreted by the Amaryllis Quartet, which at the very latest since its triumph with the finalists’ prize at the Premio Paolo Borciani in Reggio Emilia in 2011 has numbered among the leading string quartets of its generation. Pearls for friends of chamber music who delight in discovery!