These two string quartets reveal the chamber-music face of Julius Bittner, a composer better known in his day as an “Austrian” opera innovator shaped by Mahler, Bruno Walter and the rigorous schooling of Joseph Labor. Rooted in tonality yet far from imitation, his language blends a lyrical, often song-like line with firm classical craftsmanship, heir to the tradition from Haydn and Mozart to Brahms. Both works evoke pastoral and village scenes – gentle walks through hills and woods, boisterous scherzos with the character of stylised peasant dances, and slow movements that unfold in long-breathed, almost vocal cantilena. Contemporary critics already heard them as pastoral chamber pieces, rich in atmosphere rather than overt programmatic labels. The Thomas Christian Ensemble, long devoted to rediscovering neglected Austro-German repertoire, shapes this music with supple phrasing, transparent textures and an unforced sense of flow, allowing its folk-tinged charm, structural solidity and quiet individuality to emerge with natural ease.