Once the darling of opera audiences, Wolf-Ferrari's compelling chamber music has been lost to time: a great reason to resurrect these particularly sonorous jewels from the rich MDG archive, performed with immense musicality, perfect technique and immaculate balance by artists of the highest calibre. This new edition also gives behind-the-scenes insights with entertaining, sometimes very illuminating anecdotes by Werner Dabringhaus.

Son of a German painter and his aristocratic Italian wife, Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari was born in Venice and went to study in Munich. Wolf-Ferrari avoided modernist innovations and aimed to create universal beauty in his works. His style is romantic with hints of impressionism and neoclassicism. He was acclaimed as a brilliant master of late bel canto and until the outbreak of the First World War his operas were amongst the most performed in the world.

Maestro Wolfgang Sawallisch was the conductor of the Bayerische Staatsorchester and a highly talented pianist. It was with great pleasure that he regularly joined members of the orchestra in making chamber music. This opulent Piano Quintet, a masterpiece of Brahmsian proportions, as well as the opportunity to record it with "his" musicians caught his fancy.

Wolfgang Leopolder has played first violin in the Bayerische Staatsorchester since he was eighteen, later becoming section leader. The string quartet that bears his name was composed solely of orchestra members, one of whom was solo violist Fritz Ruf. He plays a black viola with an unmistakably enchanting tone. As Wolf-Ferrari's works were mostly composed and premiered in Munich, the Münchner Klaviertrio is the perfect choice for his two Piano Trios.