Schubert: String Quartet No. 13, D. 804 "Rosamunde" - Schoenberg: String Quartet No. 2, Op. 10

The Britten Quartet juxtaposes two Viennese masterpieces, one from the early Romantic period, the other from its twilight years. Both share a deeply melancholic lyricism and a clear connection to the lied: Schubert infused Rosamunde with themes drawn from his own songs, whilst Schoenberg went so far as to include poems by Stefan George in the final two movements of his Second Quartet (masterfully sung by Amanda Roocroft).