Time, place and mood are explored in this unusual programme that reveals the inventive curiosity of the Arabella Quartet, lauded by the Boston Musical Intelligencer for its “freedom, drive, and risktaking”. The geographical span is wide, from Spain to Russia, and traditional staples by Schubert sit alongside meditative statements on human themes by Puccini, Turina, Webern and Nielsen. Shostakovich’s Two Pieces for String Quartet were rediscovered in the 1980s and broaden the expressive range of this fascinating disc.

For their first GENUIN CD, violinist Sarita Kwok and pianist Wei-Yi Yang present music from a period when Janáček and Ravel were still invoking the “world of yesterday,” while Stravinsky and Prokofiev were celebrating the “here and now.” A balancing act that both young musicians pull off splendidly, connecting long musical lines and palpably enjoying relentless rhythmic repetitions. They provide for moments of stillness as well as veritable fireworks. So it comes as no surprise that both musicians have drawn international acclaim – competition juries and the press have not stopped singing their praises! We experience this first-hand the moment the lights go out and the musicians intone the first notes of Ravel’s seductive blues…