Eudora Classics does much to promote Spanish musicians and, of late, Spanish composers. Only last month, they surprised the classical world with a round-up of previously unknown chamber music from the archives of the Royal Chapel of Madrid (The Viola Sonatas from the Royal Chapel of Madrid - de Pedro Cano, Meseguer, Maíllo), which can compete favourably with the best of its genre across Europe.

This new release proves that Spain has more up its sleeve than some musicologists thought possible. In the first half of the 20th century, string quartet performances filled the concert venues. However, assuming that political circumstances, and notably Franco’s Directorate General of Popular Culture, have played a role in this, many of its composers lost public interest. Iván Görnemann and Pablo Quintanilla, violin, Adrián Vázquez, viola, and Lorenzo Meseguer, cello, picked up the challenge. Posing on the cover of the accompanying booklet, as one of the famous quartets in those hay days, The Cuartetto Francés (“True life is the re-creation, and re-creating means both preserving renewing”), to revive the ‘Forgotten Legacy’: A collection of string quartets, retrieved from the archives of the Madrid Conservatory, that won't fail to impress even the most demanding music lover. At least that’s what it did to me, and what it may do to many more classical music enthusiasts, in particular those who are on the lookout for more and something other than the usual French or similar repertoire from the same period. They are hereby well served.

The liner notes make it clear that these compositional jewels have not just been taken off the shelves. They are the fruit of a painstaking process of reviewing, analysing, and editing the selected works, recovering a wealth of Spanish musical heritage hitherto inaccessible. The result is, in fact, a most welcome and worthwhile addition to the classical catalogue. Of course, listeners may have their preference for this or another of the 7 quartets that are covered in this double issue. But my point is that we have here a collection of Modernist, though not atonal, and Neoclassical chamber music that should, and indeed, ought to find its way to libraries and collections of music lovers of these styles. The liner notes read like a music historical textbook, making this release all the more valuable.

Be that as it may, I nonetheless think that most listeners' interests go to the quality of playing. Understandably so. I can be brief. The four musicians of the quartet have known one another ever since they established themselves 15 years ago within the Spanish Youth Orchestra. Further developing abroad and guidance from inter alia the Hagen Quartet. In 2018, they reconvened in Spain, calling themselves the Seikilos Quartet, a name drawn from the Greek musical epitaph, considered to be the oldest complete musical score.

Judging by this recording, they have reached a standard that ranks them among the best in Spain, and, in my view, will score high on a more global scale. Technical mastery rather than ‘trendy fashionable’ is their style. With a natural feeling for a commensurate degree of compassion. Displaying a rare combination of modesty, virtuosity and deep insight. Four wizards of exceptional musicality and musical precision. Tonal stability is so important in this kind of repertoire. A delight to listen to.

But that is not all. It has to be captured and engineered as naturally as possible to be enjoyed to the fullest extent. Put on record with sufficient ‘room’ to let the sound of the soundboard of, in particular, the cello fade away. Splendidly done!

For this recording, the Seikilos Quartet and its sponsors could not have chosen a better label. Apart from being a valuable vehicle for Spanish music, Eudora specialises in sound quality. Ever since it established itself, I have not come across any of its releases that did not meet the highest standard.

It is the level this music, and the discerning HRAudio music lover, deserves.

Blangy-le-Château, Normandy, France.

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