GIOVANNI BOTTESINI (1821-1889): String Quintets No. 1 in C Minor “Gran Quintetto”, No. 2 in E Minor* and No. 3 in A*. * - First Recordings.

Description: Making its first appearance on album, the C minor quintet adopts the string quartet-with-second cello scoring employed by Schubert and Boccherini to create a work of rhythmic vitality, color and contrasting moods. Also receiving its premiere recording, the intricately designed third Quintet employs the two-viola instrumentation preferred by Mozart, Mendelssohn and Beethoven and is, as Toby Deller observes in his booklet notes, “the more lyrically Romantic work of the three on this recording, with four sharply characterized movements”. I Musicanti w/Leon Bosch (double bass - No. 1).