Emilie Mayer: String Quartets / Vol. 2

It 'doesn't take long before one is captivated by Emilie Mayer's spirited and distinctive music. The same applies to the Constanze Quartet's interpretation, which does full justice to the music. We can look forward to [...] Vol. 2,' remarked a well-known blogger after discovering three string quartets by the Mecklenburg composer (CD cpo 555 600-2). This man is in good company, and he will not be the only one to savour the second instalment of the planned complete recordings with great pleasure. Emilie Mayer, celebrated during her lifetime primarily as a symphonist, proves herself a masterful exponent of classical forms, subtle plays of musical lines and delicate harmonies, even in the supreme discipline of chamber music. Many will regret that only seven of her twelve quartets have survived - just enough to fill a third CD in the near future.