Nicknamed the "French Beethoven", Georges Onslow (1784-1853) was a French composer of British descent. He straddled the period that joins Beethoven and Berlioz, but failed to establish a style all his own that would have etched his name to posterity. Unlike Beethoven, who couldn't conceal his romantic ideals under his classical cloak therefore forging a new path ahead, Onslow remained at one with classical form and harmonic structure. Nonetheless, this is exemplary chamber music, which seemed to be this composer's specialty as he composed 34 string quintets, 36 string quartets, 10 piano trios, a sextet, septet and nonet, sonatas for cello and piano, but only four symphonies. There's an ease and fluidity to his music, especially the flowing interplay between instruments that belies the fact that Onslow never really wanted to be a composer, but did this mostly so that he could play chamber music with friends. Besides a few short studies under Anton Reicha, he still remained an amateur musician, but then some of his music was performed alongside the greats of the day.

World première recordings. This is volume 3 in the Elan Quintet's projected complete cycle of all 34 quintets for the Naxos label. Hopefully this will lift Georges Onslow out of the deep furrows of neglect and help establish and re-evaluate his importance for all chamber musicians.