Niels W. Gade is one of the most prominent representatives of High Romanticism in Danish music. As a young man Gade had a meteoric career in Leipzig, where he succeeded Mendelssohn in 1847 as conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra. But in 1848 he settled down in Copenhagen, where he remained active as a composer, conductor, organist and teacher until his death. Although Gade is primarily known for his orchestral and choral works, he also composed a number of excellent chamber music works, including the three quartets on this CD.