Sunday Morning with String Quartet

Suspicions might be raised by the lack of credits on the outside packaging, but this collection of string quartet movements from Shadow Mountain Classics is not really an anonymous product, but a compilation of tracks competently played by the Martinu Quartet, the Wihan Quartet, and the Nostitz Quartet, with the lion's share of performances by the latter ensemble. These Czech quartets are not household names in the west, but that's no reason to leave their names off the cover, especially since their playing is quite good and the equal of many other chamber ensembles with better name recognition. Indeed, the fine musicality and sound quality of Sunday Morning with String Quartet make it an agreeable way to start any day, and the selections by J.S. Bach, Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, and Antonin Dvorák are uplifting and charming accompaniments to any relaxing pastime or quiet activity. The sound is focused and generally close up, with a pleasantly vibrant acoustic.