Streichquartette = String Quartets = Quatuors À Cordes

Released in 1976 on the Telefunken label, this recording brings together the Alban Berg Quartett—an ensemble renowned for their precision and commitment to the Second Viennese School—with works by Anton Webern, Roman Haubenstock-Ramati, and Erich Urbanner. The album serves as a definitive look at the development of twentieth-century chamber music, juxtaposing the rigorous, concise structures of Webern with the avant-garde, graphic-influenced textures of Haubenstock-Ramati and the contemporary sensibilities of Urbanner.

The sleeve design reflects the minimalist and academic aesthetic favored by Telefunken’s classical imprint during the mid-seventies, focusing on clear typography and clinical presentation to suit the intellectual rigor of the compositions. As part of a series intended to document the evolution of the string quartet format, the record was received by critics as a technically demanding and historically significant bridge between the early expressionist pioneers and the experimental composers of the post-war era.