Iver Holter (1850–1941) was one of the most distinguished of a whole generation of Norwegian composers whose reputations have been eclipsed by the international acclaim accorded to Grieg and Svendsen. During his very long life Holter was best known as an orchestral and choral conductor, championing many contemporary works from home and abroad, as well as being a distinguished teacher. As a composer he was not prolific, essaying (usually just once) many of the standard larger forms, including opera, concerto and symphony. There seems to be little in his music to suggest a particularly Norwegian—or even Scandinavian—flavour and, although much influenced by Svendsen, Holter's works adhere to solid Central European models.
Despite the apparent closeness in opus number, Holter's two string quartets were composed over three decades apart. The First from 1876 is an extrovert apprentice work, full of affable joviality if overlong for its material. The more mature composer of 1910 was able to strike a better balance between form and content in the Second Quartet; indeed, No. 2 is a splendid work of considerable attainment and its hitherto near-total neglect was most unjust. Happily, this recording should go a long way towards putting matters right: the Norwegian Quartet plays with commendable commitment and NKF's recording is a model of clarity. Very enjoyable.'