Janacek: String Quartets Nos.1 & 2; Smetana: String Quartet No.1

The much-feted Takacs Quartet presents three popular string quartets from Czechoslovakia. Janacek's String Quartet No.1 was inspired by Leo Tolstoy's novella, The Kreutzer Sonata, which was in turn inspired by Beethoven's Violin Sonata No.9. Janacek's String Quartet No.2 was dedicated to his friendship with Kamila Stosslova, a married woman 38 years his junior with whom he exchanged over 700 letters. As the subtitle suggests, Smetana's String Quartet No.1 'From My Life' is semi-autobiographical and consists of sketches of periods from Smetana's life. All three works share narrative undercurrents that draw performances of gripping engagement from this elite group of players.