Discoveries are always fun – as the members of the CPO listening audience have known for many years now! However, even we were surprised by the acclaim and enthusiasm that accompanied our Robert Volkmann releases. His string quartets are distinguished by compositional-technical mastery, creative powers of imagination, and harmonic sophistication, and the absolutely breath-taking interpretation by the Mannheim String Quartet lends the whole a special finishing touch. The enthusiasm expressed in the Frankfurter Rundschau beyond all doubt applies to our complete recording: ‘If the quartets were by Brahms, they would be counted among the highly-esteemed works of the nineteenth century. The Mannheim String Quartet plays precisely, profoundly, and rousingly.’ Even though Volkmann’s two piano trios from the years 1842-43 and 1850 are relatively early works, they rank with his best compositions.