Anton Rubinstein's String Quartets opp. 17/2 and 17/3 enjoyed particular popularity in Leipzig and were repeatedly performed during Rubinstein's lifetime. This is not surprising, since the two works clearly pay homage to two artistic models whose names are inextricably linked with the city of music: Johann Sebastian Bach and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. "Con espressione" - with expression - is demanded by the first bars of the Quartet op.17/3, and this playing instruction runs through the entire quartet triad. The emphasis is not on erudition but on sensitivity, not on technical but on interpretive mastery. For the other quartet, Rubinstein reaches even deeper into the treasure chest of music history. Rubinstein openly acknowledges a composer who set compositional standards even before the string quartet was invented and whose music Rubinstein was one of the first to make a permanent part of his concert programmes: Johann Sebastian Bach.