String Quintet in A, Op. 18 played by the Kutcher String Quartet : Samuel Kutcher (violin), Max Salpeter (violin), Leonard Rubens (viola), George Roth (cello), and Douglas Thompson (viola)
Mendelssohn wrote two quintets for strings. The first in A, Op. 18, was written while he was at Berlin in 1826, when, at the age of seventeen, his genius had blossomed into full flower.
It is in four movements. The present second movement, an Intermezzo, was substituted for the original minuet movement in 1832, as a tribute to the memory of the composer's friend, Eduard Rietz , who had just died.
Those who admire graceful and charming melody, lucid construction, and polished craftsmanship will find all these qualities at their best in this quintet.