Saverio Mercadante was one of the pioneers of Italian instrumental music in the first half of the 19th century, a period dominated by opera. His quartets for flute and strings show his willingness to evolve and experiment in the genre, and this selection illustrates his mastery of both the Quatuor brillant and the Quatuor concertant styles. Technical agility, a varied use of tone colours, and harmonic richness mark out these very different and individual works. The performances employ the latest critical editions by Mariateresa Dellaborra.