A not negligible part of the concert programs of the Arioso Quartet Vienna, which has existed for more than 25 years, have undoubtedly been the encores presented. The musicians Martin Klimek and Libor Meisl, violins, Wolfgang Prochaska, viola, and Benedikt Endelweber, violoncello, therefore present their most popular and successful encores on this recording under the title "Encores".
Starting with a movement from J. S. Bach's The Art of the Fugue, there are audience hits such as Nimrod from the Enigma Variations by Elgar or Puccini's Crisantemi, quartet movements from the time of Viennese Classicism by Mozart and Haydn, but also late Romantic repertoire such as movements from works by Schumann, Dvorák or Mendelssohn Bartholdy, to the Polka from the ballet The Golden Age by Shostakovich and Langsamer Satz for string quartet by Anton Webern. Being the final encore, the chorale prelude Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland is again a work by J. S. Bach, who thus represents the proverbial alpha and omega of the program. © Gramola Records