I was revisiting a L'Archibudelli/Sony Vivarte disc last night devoted to the string chamber works of Friedrich Dotzauer who was born in the latter half of the 1700's. The disc includes a string quintet, string quartet, a canon, some etudes, and a few pieces for two cellos. This is very interesting, well constructed, and incisively performed music. There are plenty of attractive melodies, variety of moods, and even some high drama. Previously, I didn't have much memory of the two cello pieces, but I now find them superbly constructed and fully engaging. Overall, I find the music on a level similar to that of Onslow who also has a disc from L'Archibudelli on Sony Vivarte. Unlike the typical classical era string chamber composition, Dotzauer and Onslow, composing about two decades later, give us a fair degree of tension and angst. Also, the two composers are distictive to a level which surpasses that of composers like Spohr and Hummel. They try new harmonies and musical developments - sometimes it doesn't work well, but when it does, you get something special. So, do give the Dotzauer and Onslow Sony cds a listen, particularly if your preferences tend toward period instrumentation. You just might find the two discs being among your treasured recordings. Don Satz [log in to unmask]