Brahms String Quintets

[silvestrione]

I was amazed at my ignorance, when I read an informed view that Brahms' second String Quintet (which I've never heard) is a more substantial work than his Piano Quintet (which I love).

I'd be very grateful for a recommendation: which are the best recordings?

Well, I've listened a few times to String Qunitet no 2, in the Belcea and Raphael Ensemble performances, and it's obviously a fine work, but I don't love it as I do my favourite Brahms pieces. But, the first String Qunitet, now, that, for me, is 'something else', as they say. What a wonderful piece, which I've been listening to in the Raphael recording, which is sublime in execution and in sound...some lovely soft string playing, and some superb moments of vigorous attack. Real symphonic feel to it too.

[visualnickmos]

I have an old Sony Classics CD of the two Brahms String Quintets played by the Juilliard Quartet with Walter Trampler(?) viola. It was recorded in May 1995.

[richardfinegold]

I have a disc by the Boston Symphony Chamber players. It is probably unavailable at present.

[Nick Armstrong]

the great Mozart and Brahms string quintets

Yes!

I'm in the market for a great recording of the Brahms string quintets. This one [Quatuor Voce + Lise Berthaud on Alpha] sounded very good, though a slight reservation was expressed compared with the Mozart quintet performance on the disc.

Have members any other top recommendations for the Brahms string quintets please? We need a BAL on No 2 !! (Perhaps there's been one - must look!)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Some lovely chamber music discs reviewed by AMcG with Rebecca Franks this morning. I thought all the extracts played sounded very good, especially those from the great Mozart and Brahms string quintets. The Heath Quartet, who've impressed me live in concert in recent years, also sounded excellent in Tippett's quartets and I wish these quartets, which I first encountered decades ago thanks to the Endellion Quartet, were programmed more often.

Yes - I liked most of what I heard (and glad, too, for another recording of the Tippett); with some reservations about the opening of the Brahms S5tet, where I thought the violins' "accompaniment" would have benefited from being taken down a notch: I thought it sounded a little too prominent, and forced the 'cellist to make more of an effort to bring out the main melody - with the result that it lost some of its "effortless" swagger, which, for me, is one of its chief delights.

[Nick Armstrong]

Interesting - so any suggestions? Hagen + Caussé? Takacs + Power? Currently listening to the Belcea recording on iTunes Music, not bad...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Interesting - so any suggestions? Hagen + Caussé? Takacs + Power? Currently listening to the Belcea recording on iTunes Music, not bad...

I only have the Brandis 4tet with Brett Dean (in the BRILLIANT boxed set of the Brahms Chamber Music) who are very good. Part of my paying attention to this feature on RR was that I wouldn't mind an extra set of performances. I haven't heard the sets you mention - all three Quartets have done marvellous stuff in the recording studio - and I wouldn't mind hearing Forumistas' opinions/recommendations.

[Nick Armstrong]

I wouldn't mind hearing Forumistas' opinions/recommendations.

I found this old thread dedicated to the topic - revived for further comments.

Re-reading below, there are votes for the Belcea from jayne (confirming my first listen just now) and for the Raphael Ensemble from silvestrione. I must disagree with Thropplenoggin (in absentia) and his recommendation of the Hagens - I had a listen to that recording too, it seems hard-edged and drily recorded to me.

Anyone know the Takács / Laurence Power recording on Hyperion?

[LeMartinPecheur]

If I were shopping for a CD versions of these quintets (no, don't encourage me!), I would go with confidence to the Raphael Ens on the strength of their excellent Hyperion disc of the two sextets, equally wonderful works even though much earlier than the quintets. (Ahem, if only his string quartets - from between the sextets and the quintets - came anywhere near either...)

At the moment though, for the quintets I'm managing to get by on a 70s CBS LP by the Juilliard 4tet with Trampler. I can't see this on CD, though there is a much later version by the same artists which is marked down on Amazon.com as much inferior to the version I bought as a student.

How can anyone not be bowled over by that driving, exciting cello theme right at the start of Op111??

[Nick Armstrong]

Takács / Laurence Power on Hyperion

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/apr/27/brahms-string-quintets-takacs-lawrence-power-review

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2014/Apr14/Brahms_quintets_CDA67900.htm

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brahms-Quintets-Lawence-Hyperion-CDA67900/dp/B00I65216C

.

I find to my surprise that I have a 1990 Philips recording on my shelf by members of the Berlin Philharmonic Octet.

Must listen to it

[aeolium]

I also like the Belcea's version of the quintet, but probably slightly prefer the Leipzig Quartet/Rohde recording, not least as it is coupled with the F major quintet whereas the Belcea's is coupled with the quartet op 51 no 1. As an aside, I do prefer Brahms' quintets and sextets to his quartets (and I think Rebecca Franks in the Record Review discussion commented to the effect that he seemed to be happier with the larger complement of strings).

[kea]

For the Brahms Quintets, I suppose it depends on what you're after—if the Hagens aren't to your taste because you're after something more richly romantic, I will recommend the Quatuor Sine Nomine w/Raphaël Oleg (an extraordinarily deep, rich sound to the ensemble, interpretations large-scale and symphonic) or the more middle-of-the-road Nash Ensemble. The Leipziger Streichquartett & Rohde is recommendable for their trademark beautiful tone, and preferable to their Sextets in my view. I find the Raphael Ensemble equally beautiful but a bit too soft-edged and restrained, not as good as their Sextets recording.

I know this isn't a thread for the Sextets but while people have been recommending the Raphael Ensemble recording of those (which is indeed superb, and the qualities of restraint and soft-edgedness are less problematic there) no mention has been made of two additional recordings: L'Archibudelli (I know I say this a lot, but one of the best recordings of anything, ever) and the Talich Quartet & friends (ordinarily the kind of slow, vibrato-laden performance that would not work for me, but has a sense of rightness in the ensemble playing and large-scale interpretive decisions. I don't know if they ever recorded the Quintets, but if they did I imagine it would also be a recommendation.)

Surprised to see I am not the only one who prefers Op. 88 to Op. 111—the latter's incredibly powerful first movement is one of my favourite things in Brahms, but the rest of the piece does not really live up to it, whereas Op. 88 seems to hang together better as a work and is no smaller in scale or strength. For instance, the retransition to the first theme in its first movement is for me one of the most dramatic and exciting passages in Brahms's output. But whatever, 111 is generally accepted as the better work so who knows

[EdgeleyRob]

Anyone else got this old favourite ?



Not a lot wrong with these performances IMVH and by no means expert opinion.
A bit old fashioned for some maybe ?

[Beef Oven!]

Anyone else got this old favourite ?



Not a lot wrong with these performances IMVH and by no means expert opinion.
A bit old fashioned for some maybe ?

I bought the complete 4ts, 5ts & 6ts a few years back. Love these performances

[vinteuil]

... I like the Hagens and the Amadeus.

I also like -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0002TB2B0

.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000260QM4

very much indeed