Quatuor Mosaïques Essentials

As their name suggests, this Austrian string foursome balances exquisite details with the big compositional picture. Founded in 1987, Quatuor Mosaïques concentrates on 18th-century music they perform on period instruments. Mosaïques established their reputation with Haydn's quartets, applying their deep, dark classic Viennese sound to bedrock works such as his String Quartet No. 20. Only years later did they attempt to tackle Beethoven's heady late quartets, and their poise and subtlety shines through in String Quartets No. 12 and No. 14 (the composer's favorite).