The string quartets of Luigi Boccherini often take a backseat in recognition to his more famous compositions for cello and the two-cello string quintets. His string quartets, however, are not only rather musically enjoyable, but historically fascinating. The Op. 2 quartets heard on this album appeared significantly earlier than the quartets of Haydn, who is frequently heralded as the father of the modern string quartet. Boccherini's quartets, however, are rather different from Haydn's modernization in the number and nature of movements in each quartet, as well as the level of part independence.
The Op. 2 quartets are performed here by the
Alea Ensemble, a group dedicated not only to superior period-practice performances, but also to the academic understanding of the music at hand. The detailed, informative, and well-written liner notes describing the history of these quartets is a testimony to that aim. The performance is clean and nuanced, though a bit on the delicate, fragile side. Intonation is pristine and balance between the performers allows each part to be heard with ease. Stradivarius' sound is close and present without being sterile. Chamber music fans, particularly those interested in the continuous evolution of the string quartet, will no doubt welcome this fine addition to their collections.