Felix & Fanny Mendelssohn - String Quartets (Minguet Quartett)

Information

• Fanny Mendelssohn - String Quartet in E flat major
• Felix Mendelssohn - String Quartet No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 44 No. 3

Minguet Quartett

    Ulrich Isfort, violin

    Annette Reisinger, violin

    Aroa Sorin, viola

    Matthias Diener, cello

Date: 2026

Label: CPO

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With this album, the Minguet Quartet completes its four-part series dedicated to the string quartets of the Mendelssohn family. The collection includes not only the seven quartets by Felix Mendelssohn, whose musical career flourished from an early age, but also the single quartet by his older sister Fanny Mendelssohn. Despite her evident talent, Fanny’s musical ambitions were limited by social expectations, as their father believed music should remain only an accomplishment rather than a profession for her. Composed when she was about thirty, her quartet reveals remarkable individuality and emotional richness, providing a compelling counterpart to Felix Mendelssohn’s E-flat major quartet from his Opus 44 set.

Founded in 1988, the Minguet Quartet — Ulrich Isfort, Annette Reisinger, Aroa Sorin, and Matthias Diener — takes its name from philosopher Pablo Minguet, who championed public access to the arts. Now recognized among the leading international string quartets, they have performed in major European venues such as the Wigmore Hall, Berlin and Cologne Philharmonics, Vienna Konzerthaus, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, and at prominent festivals from Salzburg to Edinburgh. While rooted in the classical-romantic repertoire, they are strongly committed to contemporary music, premiering and recording numerous works, including complete quartets by Wolfgang Rihm, Peter Ruzicka, and Jörg Widmann. Their achievements include winning the 2010 ECHO Klassik Award.