6 Quintets - Quintettes - Quintette

This 1982 release on the Argo label features Luigi Boccherini’s quintets performed by oboist Sarah Francis and The Allegri String Quartet. Boccherini, an 18th-century virtuoso cellist, was instrumental in developing the string quintet format, often writing for two violins, viola, and two cellos, though this recording highlights his integration of the oboe as a melodic lead. The Argo label, a subsidiary of Decca, was highly regarded during this era for its commitment to chamber music and its clean, naturalistic engineering that captured the intimacy of such small-ensemble performances.

The Allegri String Quartet, established in London in the early 1950s, gained a reputation for their precise and thoughtful interpretations of the classical repertoire. By the time this collaboration with Sarah Francis was pressed, the group was well-regarded for their extensive work with Argo. The design aesthetic of the release reflects the minimalist, professional visual identity favored by the label at the time, prioritizing clarity and information to appeal to the classical collector base interested in high-fidelity recordings of lesser-performed chamber works.