It was the beginning of a long-standing, extremely fruitful collaboration: the legendary Consortium Classicum and MDG recorded their first album together almost 40 years ago. The chemistry between the musicians and the audiophile label was present right from the start, and you can still hear it in Rossini's quartets today - reason enough to present this debut recording freshly reissued in the "Preziosa" series.

The four members of Consortium Classicum convey the youthful spirit of Rossini's quartets in an inimitable, unmistakable way. Though Rossini was rather disparaging about his works, this version by Consortium Classicum would have convinced him otherwise.

Dieter Klocker, founder and driving force behind the formidable ensemble, was always bursting with energy; he developed new project ideas by the hour, researched in music libraries, transcribed manuscripts that were hardly legible and thus expanded the chamber music repertoire for woodwind by hundreds of new "old" works.

The young Rossini composed all six quartets during a short stay at a country estate where they were also premiered. His cousins, the brothers Morri, played the first violin and the violoncello, according to Rossini, "like dogs". Nevertheless, Rossini authorised several adaptations, including the version recorded here.