Following the success of her Orchid albums Flame and West Side Story, violinist Gwendolyn Masin returns with Legends, a fascinating and unique programme in which family ties and teaching lineages overlap in a mosaic of musicians, showcasing neglected repertoire and figures in the process. Throughout, the implications of the word ‘legend’ are felt. Iconic figures and works rub shoulders with those who unjustly remain in an almost mythical realm: Irene Wienawska (aka Poldowksi), her father Henryk Wieniawski and uncle Józef Wieniawski, Henryk’s student Ysaÿe, and Ysaÿe’s student Enescu.

This recording of Ysaÿe’s single-movement String Quintet in B minor is especially remarkable as it is relatively new on the recording scene; it received its Swiss premiere in May 2022 as part of Masin’s GAIA Music Festival, and this particular version has never been recorded before.