George Enescu (1881-1955) – String Quartet No. 1, opus 22:1 (1916-20)
- Allegro moderato, 2. Andante pensieroso, 3. Allegretto scherzando, non troppo vivace, 4. Allegro moderato
Performed by: Ad Libitum Quartet
Pancho Vladigerov (1899-1978) – String Quartet in G Major. opus 34 (1940)
- Grave – Allegro con brio
Performed by: AMEA Quartett
Although George Enescu was one of the most important Romanian composers, he mainly stayed outside his homeland and travelled the world as a violin virtuoso. In his two string quartets, there is not much evidence of a hankering after Romanian folk music. Only the Allegretto scherzando of the First String Quartet, in E flat major, opus 22:1, has at times something of a folk improvisation, but extremely artificial. In this quartet, Enescu shows himself to be first and foremost a follower of Franck, Fauré and Debussy, which is not so strange considering that he had lived in France since his student days with Massenet and Fauré.
The String Quartet in G major, opus 43 by the Bulgarian Pancho Vladigerov is in many respects a late-Romantic work, constructed on the basis of broad melodic lines and with numerous contrasts.
