Seniors among us will remember Maestro Paul Kletzki’s superb Beethoven interpretations on Supraphone. That was … what? … over 60 years ago! But … remastered and reissued several times, lastly in 2011. He was a gifted conductor with a lasting impact on the classical stage. I wonder, though, how many knew about Kletzki as a composer. His compositional output is modest; most of it was destroyed by the Nazis. Nonetheless, some of it has survived, including these four string quartets.

Thanks to the Bacewicz String Quartet, who recorded them for Prelude Classics - a young quality label from Poland – they have now become available in a complete DXD World Premiere set for the benefit of all classical music enthusiasts. With this recording, the composer Paul Kletzki (or Paweł Klecki, as his original Polish name was) has now been firmly established as one of the noteworthy 20th-century composers.

The quartets are no doubt as demanding for the musicians as they are impressive for the listeners. Perhaps not always easy to come to grips with their bewitching complexity and variable dynamics, but each, in its own progress from mostly neo-classical to non-compromising modernism, makes for a rewarding listening experience. There is some extreme beauty in the first two (slow movements), alternating with elements of anguish and nervousness, gradually developing into a more contemporary dramatic frame in the second pair. They seem to mirror the vicissitudes of the first half of the 20th century.

The all-female players of the Bacewicz String Quartet, a quartet I had not heard of before, have captured the changing moods with admirable compassion and superb virtuosity. Following in the footsteps of the Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz, they display a natural affinity for their country’s musical expressiveness and the unmistakable flavour of Polish historical roots, despite its more western modelled orientation — a not-to-be-missed addition to the classical catalogue.

The cherry on the cake is the recording. Michał Bryła, the driving force behind the label, is a demanding musician who accepts nothing less than the best possible recorded sound. This new double-disc is the proof. Spectacular … but be careful with the volume setting. The surround sonics are modest.

Blangy-le-Château, Normandy, France.

Copyright © 2026 Adrian Quanjer and HRAudio.net

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