Wolf-Ferrari was a composer of great artistic merit, of Italian origin but raised in Germany, unjustly forgotten and deserving of rediscovery. His works blend compositional and spiritual elements with a preference for melodic purity and gentle harmonies, a passion for clear and linear forms inspired by classical Vienna, and a meticulous approach. His aversion to complexity and his love of clarity and simplicity - as far removed from the operatic verismo movement as from the experiments of the avant-garde - meant that he was in some senses an isolated figure, yet he knew that despite the nostalgia in his writing, he had his own vibrant and original voice. His compositions for strings show a masterful compositional technique and a thorough technical knowledge of the instruments.

The youthful String Trio in B minor and the related String Trio in C minor were edited by Luca Incerti on the basis of the manuscript preserved in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek in Munich (Mus. ms. 21366). The first trio is divided into three movements: Allegro, Larghetto and Scherzo (Allegro vivace). The second trio reuses the introductory Allegro (raised to C minor) and Larghetto and adds a different ending in two new movements: Scherzo: Allegro molto and Adagio molto.

The String Trio in A minor (Op. 32) is divided into three movements - Allegro moderato, Pastorale (Andante tranquillo) and Allegro - and was written in 1945, during the composer's period of maturity.

The String Quartet in A minor was composed in 1894 and also published by Luca Incerti, based on another manuscript in Munich (Mus. ms. 23144-2). It consists of four movements: Allegro moderato, Adagio non troppo, Allegro vivacissimo and Allegro assai. The String Quartet in E minor is also divided into four movements - Allegro, Andante cantabile, Capriccio (Allegro pesante) and Allegro - but its date of composition is unknown. In contrast, however, it certainly dates from Wolf-Ferrari's later years, when all of the composer's unique artistic characteristics came to the fore. As this quartet makes clear, Wolf-Ferrari offered a tantalizing return to classicism in the context of the early 20th century avant-garde, but it was his own personal interpretation of the style, not an attempt to recreate it. His neoclassicism appears more modern today than it would have done to his contemporaries. The String Quintet (2 violas) in C is recorded from another edition by Luca Incerti, based on individual parts published by Thomi-Berg. It was written in 1942 and therefore belongs to the composer's mature period. It consists of four movements: Allegro assai quasi presto, Larghetto, Prestissimo and Molto mosso alla breve.

Further information:
- Recorded in April 2023, Ariccia, Italy
- The booklet in English contains liner notes by Alberto Cima & Davide Alogna as well as profiles of the ensembles and additional players
- Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (1876-1948) is a composer who is difficult to categorize. A child of his time, he kept his distance from the innovations of the modernists and dodecaphony. The son of a German father and a Venetian noble mother, he was born in Venice and studied in Munich. He became famous as an opera composer. His style is romantic, with a hint of impressionism and the odd neoclassical touch. His aim was to create a "universal beauty" in his works, to which no rules apply, only a feeling of well-being and sensuality.
- This new recording is a new part of the recording project of Wolf Ferrari's complete chamber music. Presented here are the string trios, string quartets and the string quintet, music rooted in the late Romantic German tradition but full of nostalgic, Italianate lyricism.
- Played by the Quartetto Eos and the Trio David.
- Critical praise for Wolf-Ferrari's violin sonatas on Brilliant Classics (BC 96093): "Davide Alogna and Costantino Catena prove to be convincing advocates of this neglected music." Their partnership is balanced and their interpretation of these three sonatas respects their qualities without giving in to the temptation to demand too much of them MusicWeb International
- 'The soaring melodic line yearns for almost Wagnerian rapture in [Costantino] Catena's commanding, stirring figures ... a condensed blend of Wolf-Ferrari's virtues as a first-rate inventor of robust and compelling chamber music.' Fanfare.