Juilliard String Quartet - Verdi & Sibelius: String Quartets (1992)

This enterprising disc couples the only mature string quartets by two composers not known for their chamber music. Verdi's quartet is a late piece that surely deserves a more secure place in the repertoire than it has. It's first-rate music, as is the Sibelius, which comes with the subtitle "Intimate Voices." The fact that neither composer followed up these solo efforts does not detract from their value as music, nor from the Juilliard's achievement in making them sound every bit like the great music they are. -- David Hurwitz