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I've just noticed at the start of this thread a question by Alberto posed way back in 2011 - "does anyone know a longish (String) Quartet by d'Ollone?"

Maybe this refers to the Quartet in D major from 1898 (and thus an early work of Max d'Allone)?

If so it is recorded on a most satisfying Pierre Vernay disc (PV799061) released in 1999 where it is performed by the Quatuor Athenaeum Enesco. This generous disc also contains the String Trio in A minor from 1920 and the Piano Quartet in E minor where members of the Quartet are joined by Patrice d'Ollone, the composer's grandson.

However the Quartet isn't an especially long piece at just over 20 minutes in duration. But so far as I know d'Ollone wrote just the one String Quartet.

Apologies for tucking this comment on the end of a thread about Roger-Ducasse (whose works for piano on the Nimbus set referred to above I much enjoy). Maybe worth a new d'Ollone thread although most of his works are now largely forgotten operas mostly composed between the two World Wars?

Actually, Sharkkb8, this very welcome release (and the other new Toccata releases) is on 30 March and thereby misses April Fool's Day! But for those impatient to get any of these discs they have now come into Toccata from the manufacturer, and Toccata is always happy to send them to private individuals before the official 'release' day.

The D major quartet - the 2nd - also has a remarkably fine recording by the Smetana Quartet, and is available in a 3 CD set on Supraphon called 'The Best of Czech Classics: String Quartets'. So at least there's some choice as regards this work.

I don't have the "old Supraphon recording" of the 1st, and it seems quite unavailable. And, like Semloh, the 3rd is wholly unknown to me.

But it's strange, given that many of Novak's orchestral works are well represented on disc, that these three quartets seem to have been passed over. As Matesic remarks in an earlier post it would be good indeed if some Czech quartet, whether young or old, took on board these works. I wonder if they get much of a representation in concerts in their own country?

Thank you, Alan. The news of the Toccata recording of Tovey's massive Piano Quintet brings a day otherwise full of seemingly endless distractions from the true purpose of living to a quite perfect close.

I've often come across references to this work in my reading about Tovey and his almost quite unbelievable range of activities, but of course I've never heard the work because (to my knowledge) it has never been recorded or even broadcast. For quite a few years it has been on my list of 'must hear' compositions. So at last a dream realised!

It is a great pity we don't hear much more Tovey. The chamber works recorded by Guild and Toccata I've found immensely impressive and actually very moving. And to anyone unduly apprehensive about the prospect of listening to almost half an hour of solo violin I'd recommend them to listen to the Op. 29 Sonata Eroica. It is a masterpiece likely to sweep any violin solo doubters off their feet.

So the news of an imminent release of the long neglected Piano Quintet is the most splendid news. I head for my slumbers a very happy man.

Rather irrelevant I realise. But my immediate reaction when I read Gareth Vaughan's question was to think: Can anyone tell me how to persuade a string quartet to take up and record Straesser's five String Quartets? No answer to that I guess, but I'd love the opportunity to hear them.

It does ring a distant bell. Sunday afternoons invariably saw me listening to the regular opera broadcast on Radio 3 (or was it the Third Programme then?) whilst ironing shirts ready for the forthcoming week. The BBC often very generously would send a copy of the libretto if you sent them a stamped addressed envelope about a week before the broadcast. Those were the days!

However given that I don't possess a libretto for the opera that's undoubtedly an indication that the complete opera wasn't performed and broadcast.

Now having been saddled with teaching a 1st Year 'Introduction to Logic' course for a couple of years I'm conscious that the previous statement contains a hopelessly bad argument. But we're all grown up here, so let's ignore the logic textbooks!

There are some exciting things on the chamber music front going on in recording studios right now to provide some new CD releases in the Parry centenary year in 2018. In one case a newly discovered work. But lips tightly sealed, I'm afraid!

Actually, Alan, if you look under 'News' on the John Andrews website you'll read that the release is scheduled for 'Christmas'.  That's a wee bit better than 'forthcoming', and had it been released at the end of December it would have been a most welcome event. I'm pretty much down in the dumps about our prospects for 2017, but if this much awaited disc does appear then that will be at least one good thing about the new year. I notice that none of the usual retailers seem to be including it in their lists of forthcoming releases.

Yes, I gladly concede the point (and thought you expressed it well with that sometimes wanting "something less dense, more athletic.....and less earnest"). One couldn't live with Brahms all the time however well written and glorious his quartets might be. And yes again - it is the sheer exuberance of Raff that I find so completely enhancing. We need both composers and there are certainly no verbal missiles coming from me!

Total agreement that the Quartet and the (2 cello) Quintet are each immensely rewarding works. For those who want to investigate the Antes disc referred to by Eric is BM-CD 31.9023. I don't know when it was released, but the two works were recorded in 1983 and 1986. Perhaps at 49 minutes rather short playing time, but who cares about quantity when the music is of such quality. On the back of the CD there is a quotation from Brahms given after Dessoff's death in 1892: "He was a splendid character and a musician of lively temperament and fine education". We know Brahms wasn't given to such tributes casually.

The explanation of why Dessoff didn't compose more was that his principal activity was conducting. There is, apparently, a very early symphony and what seems a successful piano sonata (now completely ignored and forgotten) together with some choral works. He gave up composing to concentrate on conducting (although these two chamber works for strings came from 1878 when he briefly returned to composition), and had an especially rewarding career (I believe he conducted the first performance of Brahms's 1st symphony).

As Alan remarks there is a later recording of the Quartet by the Mandelring on Audite - one of their three CDs devoted to Brahms plus. The fine musicians on the Antes disc are the Bartok-Quartett (for the Quartet) and L'Ensemble (Quintet).

I found Dessoff a wonderful discovery, and it made me regret that conducting pushed composing to one side. And I can't resist adding that if Alan has become tired of the Brahms quartets then there's a case for a brisk walk in the park, a cold bath, and then a fresh listen to any one of them! Try the recent disc by the Belcea - it blows cobwebs off routine performances of these works.

I guess this thread will lead to nothing but sheer numbing frustration! But for the record, I distinctly recall reading in one of the record comics at least 15 years ago that Neeme Jarvi was about to record for DG all five of the Maximilian Steinberg symphonies. Obviously a now dead project, but wouldn't that have been quite a thing!

Total and absolute agreement with you, Alan.

I also hold in high regard the Hagai Shaham / Amon Erez Hyperion set of Hubay's Scenes de la csarda. Life-enhancing stuff!

I'm forever on the lookout for string quartets that I've never encountered. And, oh golly, I noticed this morning that Brilliant Classics (on November 18) will be releasing a recording by the young (but hugely talented) London based Alauda Quartet of the two string quartets by Roffredo Caetani.

Now that's a quite new one for me, and the CD was promptly ordered. The two quartets were composed turn of the century, and a quick look at the literature suggests they might well be interesting. Anyone acquainted with them?

There is also a Piano Quintet which goes straight on my wish list. I'm aware that Brilliant released a disc a couple of years ago of Caetani's piano music (which includes a sonata), but I don't know the disc. And I don't suppose Caetani is related to the conductor of that name?

Only "a couple of Haydn string quartets", Semloh? I'd say your listening tastes are extremely restricted!!!

I've had my copy of the CD for two weeks now......and think I've almost worn it out with repeated playing! Truly magnificent music, and I feel so fortunate in being able to listen to these two quartets that I've wanted to hear for such a long time. Roll on the remaining Quartets, and may the present disc succeed in giving Stanford's chamber music for strings the prominence it deserves.