Jan Ladislav Dussek: String Quartets (2009)

Bohemian-German composer Jan Ladislav Dussek, 10 years older than Beethoven and a major influence upon him in the realm of keyboard music, is known mostly for that keyboard music and for his chamber music with keyboard. This set of three string quartets from late in his career has apparently never been recorded before. Dussek confidently asserted to an English publisher that "they are neither in the Stile of Mozart, of Haydn, nor that of Pleyel, they are in the Stile of Dussek, and I hope will make some noise in the Musical ... Read More

Bohemian-German composer Jan Ladislav Dussek, 10 years older than Beethoven and a major influence upon him in the realm of keyboard music, is known mostly for that keyboard music and for his chamber music with keyboard. This set of three string quartets from late in his career has apparently never been recorded before. Dussek confidently asserted to an English publisher that "they are neither in the Stile of Mozart, of Haydn, nor that of Pleyel, they are in the Stile of Dussek, and I hope will make some noise in the Musical World." The mention of Pleyel in the same breath as Haydn and Mozart, in 1806, is interesting, but the central feature of this remark is its omission of Beethoven, who was certainly on Dussek's mind. The notes by Camesina Quartett violinist Johannes Gebauer somewhat overstress the Romantic qualities of these quartets. They're there, but they're episodic rather than thoroughgoing; Dussek often begins a movement with entirely innocent diatonic material and then veers off like a fast... Read Less