After the pairing of Spohr's first two double quartets on Hyperion (A66141, 5/86), here is the companion record of the other two. They are, as always, fluent, pleasant works, though in the case of the Eminor there are darker understones. The opening movement is unusually restless, even turbulent, for Spohr, though the old showman asserts himself in the variations with plenty of violin virtuosity. It is a piece skilfully composed, especially in its more demonstrative moments, for the unusual medium which Spohr virtually pioneered. In this, perhaps, lies one of the form's inherent drawbacks, for (to put it in more strongly) it would be possible to make a fair shot at rearranging this first movement for a normal string quartet, or perhaps quintet, whereas much of the point would vanish in the more extrovert movements.
However, in the Fourth Double Quartet the music is more sustainedly and genuinely antiphonal, giving the two quartets equal opportunities and also the recording engineers a good opportunity for making the point lucidly and effectively. There is still some over reliance on effect for effect's sake; but the best of the work genuinely draws its invention from the possibilities afforded by the medium, which can go rather further than simple alternation of themes or mere question-and-answer phrasing. The players clearly enjoy themselves, and give attentive ear to Spohr's mastery of texture as well as to his more obvious effects.'