On this CD the Mantangi Quartet perform three string quartets by Joseph Haydn, all of which have subtitles that refer to aspects of nature: op.76, no.4 'Sunrise', op.50, no.6 'The Frog', and op.33, no.3 'The Bird'.

The Matangi Quartet was founded in 1999 by four young musicians then studying at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague and the Conservatory of Rotterdam. In 2003 Matangi completed the two-year, full-time course at the Netherlands String Quartet Academy under the direction of Stefan Metz (cellist, Orlando Quartet). At the Academy, the Matangi Quartet had the opportunity to take lessons from internationally renowned musicians, including the members of the Amadeus Quartet. The quartet also received intensive mentoring from Henk Guittart (violinist, Schönberg Quartet) for several years. Since then the quartet has become a regular performer on the Dutch chamber music scene and abroad.

In 2002 Matangi was awarded the prestigious Kersjes van de Groenekan Award, an annual prize awarded to exceptional chamber music talent in the Netherlands, and in 2008 the quartet won third prize at the International Joseph Joachim Chamber Music Competition in Weimar. The Matangi Quartet has released several CDs on Challenge Records, including “Mendelssohn” (CC72308) in 2009, “Candybox” (CC72353) in 2010. Alongside the viola da gamba player Ralph Rousseau, the quartet won the Edison Audience Award in 2009 for their CD “Chansons d’amour” (CC72305).