Consone Quartet: Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn String Quartets CD
The first period instrument string quartet to be selected as BBC New Generation Artists, the Consone Quartet are known for their honest and expressive interpretations of classical and romantic era repertoire. Their new album explores string quartets by Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn. Despite its turbulent character, Felix’s String Quartet in E minor, Op. 44 No. 2, was written three months after the composer’s marriage, during a period of stability and creativity. In contrast, the String Quartet in F minor, Op. 80, was composed while he was recovering from shock, following his sister Fanny’s premature death. Fanny’s String Quartet in E flat major is an attractive and well-crafted work, which, due to her family discouraging her pursuit of a career in composition, remained unpublished until 1988.
