In his final years Schubert absorbed lessons learnedfrom the late string quartets of Beethoven.

HisString Quartet in G D887 stands among the mostadventurous of all his chamber compositions,operatic in the power of its drama and the impactof its lyrical themes.

The Hagen Quartet, formed in1981, has developed its engrossing interpretationof the work over many years in performance at thehighest level.