Weill: Complete String Quartets; Hindemith: Minimax

This is an entertaining grouping of quartets by composers whose lives and careers intersected. Paul Hindemith played the viola part in the premier performances of Weill's quartets. It begins with the first of Weill's quartets, showing a contrasting growth of the young composer as we go straight to the second quartet, composed in a much less formal structure and emergent of Weill's distinct and mature compositional character. In the Hindemith, we get a set of vignette-like pieces for quartet that abound with obvious humor.

Very interesting music by Weill. The Hindemith's part is quite peculiar, like musical jokes - too much of them.