This piece reflects Janácek's memories of childhood and youth in his native Hukvaldy and the Augustinian Abbey in Brno. Kry?tof Maratka, a Czech composer resident in France and a great admirer of Janácek, has arranged the original version to produce a welcome addition to the string quartet repertoire.Youth for wind sextet, is a masterpiece from Janácek's late period (1924). Maratka has successfully managed to transform the concise winds' sound that give this work its unique flavour into the timbre of the strings, thereby creating a 'third string quartet? of the composer.- Janácek's wind sextet arranged for string quartet- Welcome addition to the string quartet repertoire- Foreword by the arranger (Cz/Eng/Ger) / Quatuor A Cordes

Into the faded air was commissioned by Britten Sinfonia for first performance at Filharmonic Hall Krakow Poland on Sunday 13th January 2008 with Jacqueline Shave (Violin) Miranda Dale (Violin) Clare Finnimore(Viola) Catherine Musker (Viola) Caroline Dearnley (Cello) and Banjamin Chappell (Cello).Scoring: String Sextet (2 Violins 2 Violas and 2 Cellos)Duration: 10 minutes Composer'sNotes 'Into The Faded Air is cast in four movements although the last three movements are played without a break.In the first movement the sextet is divided into twogroups. The first group consisting of violin viola and cello plays a sustained melody while the second group (also violin viola and cello) contributes more jagged and intricate material. The second movement is an extended duetfor two violas accompanied by the other instruments. As the movement progresses the accompanying instruments become more prominent. The third movement is the only fast movement in the piece with rapid semiquavers and much useof pizzicato throughout. This leads into a serene chorale where the three upper instruments (two violins and first viola) are set against the second viola and two cellos.' - HelenGrime