The Milanese composer Carlo Monza (1735–1801) was deeply involved in the city’s cultural life at a time when Austrian instrumental innovations and the Italian operatic tradition converged. The six string quartets published here — their first appearance in a modern edition — each bear a title suggesting a narrative or distinctive character. Vol. 1: La Fucina di Vulcano refers to the myth of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and metalworking, who is troubled by jealousy; Gli Amanti Rivali tells the story of two rival lovers fighting for the attention of their beloved; in Opera in Musica Monza introduces a number of Italian operatic clichés to the instrumental genre.

 Music example Quartet No. 1 (pdf)
 Music example Quartet No. 2 (pdf)
 Music example Quartet No. 3 (pdf)