Glass: String Quartets Nos. 1-4;

Although Philip Glass came late to
the string quartet, his contribution
to the genre has since become a
significant one. This disc features
the first four of his five quartets,
ranging from the uncharacteristic
yet fascinating sound-world of the
First, through the compact
dimensions of the subsequent two
(themselves derived from theatre
and film scores). The more
expansive manner of his Fourth
Quartet makes allusions to the
formidable string quartet heritage,
in particular those of Schubert
and Dvorak.