To celebrate the 50th anniversary of its foundation, the Brodsky Quartet invites us to a delicious feast of musical treats. There are many favourites here, arranged by members of the group with skill and a feel for what a string quartet can do, and they’ve always been one of the most forward-looking of string quartets—a secret perhaps to their longevity. “Dreaming up countless artistic projects, across many boundaries, kept us engaged and spawned lots of new creations,” they reckon. “We endlessly keep alive the great traditions of quartet playing while forging ahead and being forever curious.” This programme works on many levels, one of which is pure celebration. “The album was conceived as a 50th anniversary tribute to Jacky and Ian so you’ll notice quite a lot of emphasis on the second violin and cello parts. Lots of the pieces are personal favourites or little private jokes,” they confess. Debussy’s Deux Arabesques, Satie’s Gnossiennes and the Prélude from Poulenc’s Sonata for Piano Four Hands make the move to strings effortlessly and with great charm. Pianist Julian Jacobson joins the Brodskys for Elgar’s languid Adieu while cellist Laura van der Heijden completes a string quintet for a handful of gems, including Saint-Saëns’ ever-popular “The Swan” from The Carnival of the Animals. “Every track is important and musically strong enough to stand on its own,” the quartet feels. “If we can translate the poignancy of Beethoven’s extraordinary ‘Moonlight’, or enhance the comic elements within Bazzini’s La Ronde des lutins, then we’ve done something worthwhile.”