And although the Yggdrasil offers solid tone throughout, the Quartetto Italiano's powerful dynamics and dark and robust sonority add an air of grim finality to the proceedings. By contrast, BIS's close perspective and slightly dry recording makes the Yggdrasil sound somewhat thin-bodied. This is less noticeable in the Andante, where the Yggdrasil beautifully renders each of the variations with delicate timbral shadings and painstaking dynamic contrasts. The scherzo and finale benefit from a tight ensemble that nonetheless allows for individual virtuosity, making this one of the more intriguing Death and the Maiden's on disc.

The inclusion of Quartet No. 10 is a refreshing departure from the usually-coupled Rosamunde No. 13, and the Yggdrasil approaches this youthful work with the same seriousness of purpose and beauty of tone that it brings to later Schubert. Particularly telling are the first movement and finale where the ensemble offers playing of real elegance, charm, and sophistication. In sum, an intriguing release for the quartet connoisseur.