Streichquartett Es-dur Op. 12 / Streichquartett E-moll Op. 44 Nr. 2

This release, featuring the Ulbrich-Quartett performing Mendelssohn’s String Quartets Op. 12 and Op. 44, No. 2, emerged from the East German music scene in 1974. Produced as a private or non-commercial pressing, it represents the efforts of GDR-based ensembles to document classical repertoire outside of the state-run Deutsche Schallplatten label infrastructure, reflecting the high standards of chamber music training within the German Democratic Republic.

The Ulbrich-Quartett, a long-standing ensemble known for their dedicated interpretation of the classical and romantic canon, approached these works with a characteristic focus on clarity and structural balance. By selecting these specific Mendelssohn quartets, the ensemble showcased the composer’s evolution from the youthful, Mendelssohnian grace of Op. 12 to the more mature, contrapuntal complexity found in the E-minor quartet, providing a balanced programmatic look at the nineteenth-century chamber tradition.