Fans of the string quartets by Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, and Mendelssohn should by all means try this disc of string quartets by George Onslow. British-born and Bohemian-trained composer spent most of his career in France, and aside from their tonal language and their four-movement structure, his quartets have little in common with his German contemporaries. In fact, they have little in common with the music of his French contemporaries, who concentrated mostly on stage works. But in these overwhelming persuasive performances by the Quatuor Diotima, Onslow's quartets come across as fully formed, wholly confident, and enormously expressive works. There is tremendous power in the fast movements: the rip-roaring Scherzo, from his D minor Quartet, Op. 55; immense pathos in the slow movements: the heartbreaking Andante con variazioni from the E flat Quartet, Op. 54; and awesome intensity in the opening movements: the monumental Allegro maestoso ed espressivo from the C minor Quartet, Op. 56.

What a pity that Vol. 3 of string quartets by George Onslow (1784-1853) is the last in the survey. It may just be the best of the three, including Onslow’s great early C minor quartet op. 8, and two other top-notch specimens overflowing with melody, excitement, and power. If you’re new to Onslow, this program is the perfect introduction to his variegated talents and expressive aims. The Mandelring Quartet is a spirited and persuasive team playing from the heart; three members of the quartet are siblings and their father was an Onslow scholar.

Georges Onslow (1284-1853) was the prime example of a highly talented composing nobleman who was fortunate never to have to fight for a living as a musician. Significantly, it is the chamber music that makes up the bulk of his work: 70 alone He has left string quartets and quintets. The fact that there are almost jewels among them, cpo proved a few years ago with a recording of the Mandelring Quartett.

Georges Onslow (1784-1853) was a highly respected and much-played composer of chamber music works in the 19th century. Hailing from the highest English aristocratic circles, he spent his life in France and was fortunate never to have to compose for his livelihood. His music was not only highly valued by Beethoven, and its originality and ingenuity also impressed one of the most ambitious young string quartets that we could win for our production of the quartets op. 9, 1 and 3 and op. 47: the Mandelring Quartett.

In der Zeit nach Beethoven galt Onslow als einer der führenden Komponisten von Kammermusik, . Vor allem seine 70 Streichquartette und -quintette begründeten seinen Ruf als außergewöhnlich befähigter, sehr detailreich und differenziert komponierender Musiker. Dem Mandelring Quartett ist sein Schaffen ein echtes Anliegen und neben der Einspielung seiner Streichquartette, von denen schon 9 auf cpo-CDs erschienen sind, hat das Ensemble zusammen mit dem Kontrabassisten. Wolfgang Güttler jetzt sein 1832 entstandenes spannungsreiches Streichquintett op. 44 eingesielt.

Throughout the 19th century, the chamber music of Georges Onslow (1784-1853) was afforded the same respect as that of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven. According to one source, “his work was admired by both Beethoven and Schubert, the latter modeling his own 2 cello quintet (D.956) on those of Onslow and not, as is so often claimed, on those of Boccherini.” While Onslow was known as “the French Beethoven,” his string quartets/quintets fit neatly within the quatuor brilliants genre that arose from Louis Spohr. This type of string writing gives the first violin freer rein as a soloist; a concerto for violin and string quartet, in other words.

Throughout the 19th century, the chamber music of Georges Onslow (1784-1853) was afforded the same respect as that of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven. According to one source, “his work was admired by both Beethoven and Schubert, the latter modeling his own 2 cello quintet (D.956) on those of Onslow and not, as is so often claimed, on those of Boccherini.” While Onslow was known as “the French Beethoven,” his string quartets/quintets fit neatly within the 'quatuor brilliants' genre that arose from Louis Spohr. This type of string writing gives the first violin freer rein as a soloist; a concerto for violin and string quartet, in other words.

Even when the Symphony No. 1 debuted in 1831, it was considered old fashioned. Although it was well received, audiences that same year were also exposed to Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Old fashioned or not, Onslow’s first symphony was performed throughout Europe to generally high acclaim. There were some dissenters who felt Onslow’s themes would have been better served in chamber works using fewer musicians (Symphony No. 3 actually began as a string quintet), but other people felt Onslow moved the symphony in a new direction and his works should not be compared to the symphonies of other composers. Onslow’s symphonies are classical in structure: four movements, not straying too far from the Classical notions of harmony; however they embrace the burgeoning Romanticism of the time.

The symphonies of Georges Onslow (1784-1853), rather than following the path blazed by countryman Hector Berlioz, instead adopt the German romantic style epitomized by Schumann and Mendelssohn. For example, the high-spirited Symphony No. 2, a smart and finely crafted work continuously self-propelled by busy string writing, presents a very Schumannesque profile (explicitly so in the scherzo), while the orchestration, with its bucolic woodwind writing, owes much to Mendelssohn. Symphony No. 4 immediately announces its weightier countenance with a powerfully portentous introduction reminiscent of Schubert. Onslow enlivens both the first movement and finale with skillful pacing and an unerring sense of dramatic timing, but it's the spiritually elevated adagio–the emotional center of the work–that remains most in the memory.