I. Allegro comodo
II. Andantino
III. Minuetto con moto
IV. Allegro giusto - Capriccio ad libitum


Boccherini was a prolific composer of chamber music. The Gerard catalogue lists 488 chamber works. String Quintets weigh in at 110 but next come 106 string quartets. These numbers may be inflated as the Gerard catalogue includes all works at one time or another attributed to Boccherini (but tbf Gerard continuously examines authenticity for every work).
The Opus 32 quartets were composed in 1780. It was a particularly stable and productive period for Boccherini (now in his later 30s) and he was arguably at the top of his game. The quartets were published in 1782 by Artaria but why they were published in Vienna and not Paris (like Boccherini's other compositions) is unknown. Four of the op. 32 set are in major keys ( Quartets.1, 3, 4, and 6) whilst the remaining two quartets are in minor keys. This one, the 5th of the set is in G minor. It's a 4-movement work with a slow movement and minuet framed by fast-tempo outers. Strangely, no confirmed autograph exists for all of the Opus 32 Quartets. The Gerard catalogue includes a question mark indicating that there may be very minor doubts as to their authenticity but the scores were probably "produced by a copyist under the direction of the composer and revised by him" (the annotations appear to be in his own hand). In any case there's little doubt amongst most experts that the music is almost certainly Boccherini (it's too good to be anyone 'lesser' around that time).
Many compare Boccherini's Op.32 quartets with Haydn's Op.33 quartets due to their close chronological proximity and the fact that they marked a big landmark in both composer's output but they are totally different stylistically. Boccherini's Op.32 quartets were the last opera grande quartets composed during a period in which he wrote almost half of his quartets.
The 5th quartet of op.32 begins with an allegro comodo. It's a fine, grand movement with plenty of dynamic variation (or it should be if performed well) and ends in strong fashion. Boccherini interestingly doesn't abandon his initial material but restates it only at the close of the movement, in the coda. The return of principal theme material and the tonic key creates more drama. The 2nd movement is a lovely, light andantino. There's a gentle opening theme created by the loving interplay of first and second violins yet the andantino has more the character of a slow dance movement than your standard slow movement. The two main thematic elements in the movement are intriguing, the second of which cadences on the dominant. It's not followed by a development section, per se, but instead an inverse restatement of the principal and secondary themes. The minuet that follows, like the first movement is considerably more complex than many of the other quartets in this set as Boccherini utilizes a larger variety of thematic elements and the trio utilises different length phrases creating a less predictable and mobile movement. This is one of Boccherini's strongest minuets of this set.
The finale of the 5th Quartet is probably the most imaginative movement in the Op.32 set. Whilst the finale remains in the tonic key, it's not like the more austere G minor of the 1st movement but gentle and playful with its staccato articulations and greater use of dynamics. Is it only me that hears some op.18 Beethoven here? The exposition introduces a 2nd theme and all seems fairly regular until the second half where material from the transition is developed and the original theme quoted. Boccherini restates all of the exposition material in different keys then, cleverly, throws in a violin cadenza to bring us back to G minor.
Boccherini's Op. 32 string quartets differ from both the Viennese quartets and the Parisian Quatuor concertantes, showing an awareness of contemporary styles of quartet composition whilst adopting an independent stylistic stance. With their emphasis upon melody, instrumental textures, unique voicing and impulsive changes of mood it could be argued that Boccherini's quartets were the biggest inspiration for the early romantic string quartet composers (much more so than those of Mozart and Haydn). This is a quality quartet and one well worth getting to know. There are surprisingly quite a few recordings of it around and some very fine ones, at that.
Of those recordings I'm not going to endorse the 1952 reading by the Guilet Quartet. Yes, it's interesting how they play the minuet in a very bold, dynamic fashion but elsewhere there are intonation problems aplenty and the recording is congested, distorted and not too pleasant. It's not awful but you can do much better and find something in tune. I wasn't impressed with period ensemble Trifolium either. Their rather weedy, anaemic vibrato-less, dry sound is not wholly pleasant on the ear even if they play skilfully. Others may rate this higher but for me I need a much fuller sound in this quartet.
The Esterhazy Quartet are recommendable though. They play at a good clip and although they loiter a little over phrases there's a pleasing rasp to their tone in their Erato/Teldec recording and they are much more alive to Boccherini's textures. Similarly the Nomos Quartet are aided by even better recorded sound and a stronger depth of colour. My only niggle here is that they aren't quite as responsive to Boccherini's dynamic demands as I'd like and there are better advocates of this fine music in the list below. This leaves 3 very impressive efforts, all with their particular strengths. The Borciani Quartet (mentored by and named after the legendary Quartetto Italian's leader, Paulo Borciani) take a slightly broader, but perfectly valid and impressive approach and lay down an account of great beauty, style and elegance. Naxos support with excellent sound and were it not for the two following recordings this would be an automatic top recommendation. Make no bones about it, though, this is an excellent effort and some may prefer it to my other choices. However, there's two that I rate even higher.. The first of those is from the period ensemble the Apponyi Quartet. Listeners familiar with their high-quality Haydn op.33 set will know what to expect here. Brisk rhythms, a certain wiriness of tone and gorgeous playing mark out this recording and it's carried off with great panache and skill. This is certainly no shrinking violet reading and their vitality is infectious, especially in a robust and flowing finale. As an alternative you could consider the usually excellent Cuarteto Casals who display a similar level of technical proficiency and strength. The Casals are more mannered and this may detract a little for some but their ensemble work is at times stunning and they have great dynamic variation, being able to capture the hues of Boccherini's colourful score perfectly. The recording is of the highest standard with great clarity and with a lovely fresh feel. Of all these recordings the last 3 are the way to go for me and I doubt that you will be disappointed with any of them. It really is miniscule margins for this one.