6. Crespo Series

This extraordinary quartet stands at the very pinnacle of the repertoire alongside Beethoven's C sharp minor that was composed at exactly the same time. Both players and audience have to delve much deeper to comprehend this music, so far ahead of its time. Schubert's original plan back in 1824 was to write a set of three quartets dedicated to Ignaz Schuppanzigh, the famous violinist and leader of the Schuppanzigh Quartet. Unfortunately the dedicatee made heavy weather of the Death and the Maiden, the second in the trilogy, and volubly discouraged Schubert - my dear fellow, this is no good, leave it alone; you stick to your songs!