The viola was Mozart's favourite instrument to play so it's no wonder he wrote his brilliant string quintets featuring two violas. The D major one is full of the brightness and brilliance of that key and keeps everybody busy. It's flanked by two unfamiliar beauties for the same instrumentation, the short Intermezzo by Bruckner, like Mahler, more known for his monumental symphonies, and the only string quintet by Denmark's most celebrated composer, Carl Nielsen, only 23 years old when he wrote it. This fine work was never published in his lifetime which may explain its relative neglect.

Anton Bruckner - Intermezzo in D minor WAB 113

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - String Quintet No. 5 in D Major, K.593

Carl Nielsen - String Quintet in G Major, CNW 59

Peter Gjelsten, violin
Wilma Smith, violin
Yuri Zhislin, viola
Fiona Sargeant, viola
Matthias Balzat, cello