When he composed his three quartets in Op. 44 (1839), Mendelssohn became a dramatist of sound. Here, everything comes alive as if it were a play, with its dazzlingly diverse narrative.

As for his Quartet No. 12, Dvořák wrote it during a summer he spent in the New World (1893), and more precisely in Iowa, hence his nickname "American". The Czech composer combines with a unique mastery reminiscences of central Europe and evocations of the American landscapes he discovered in amazement.

The Ardeo Quartet, made up of four modern and committed musicians, has no equal today in restoring the full flavour of this type of work.

Felix Mendelssohn: Quartet op. 44 no. 1 in D major

Anton Dvorak: American Quartet