Dvořák String Quartets 8 & 10

Dvořák’s 14 string quartets are full of the most delicious details, from their nods to the folk heritage of the composer’s native Bohemia to the sparkling Haydn-esque wit that darts between the instruments. It’s that wit that sometimes gets lost in performance, but here the combination of the Albion’s refreshing, unsentimental readings and the superb recorded sound brings it all magically to the fore. That’s not to say that the quartet doesn’t relish Dvořák’s deeper emotions—the second movement of No. 8 beautifully balances passion and reflection. And in the second movement of No. 10, you’ll hear Dvořák’s version of the “Dumka”, a traditional Slavonic dance that veers from melancholy to joy—transitions that the Albion Quartet take in their stride.