Great Chamber Music Recordings

[Hornspieler]

Not all include horn including horn players -

Brahms: Horn Trio - Aubrey Brain, Adolph Busch, Rudolf Serkin
Mendelssohn: Octet - Hugh Maguire and Friends*
Mozart: Horn Quintet - John Barrows with the Fine Arts 4tet of New York
Mozart: Quintet for Piano and Wind K452 - Walter Gieseking and Philharmonia Wind Ensemble (Dennis Brain)
Mozart: Serenade in B flat (Gran Partita) K 361 - Amadeus Winds (Christopher Hogwood)
Ravel: Introduction & Allegro - Osian Ellis with the Melos Ensemble
Schubert: Octet in F, op 166 - The Vienna Octet
Spohr: Octet in E - The Vienna Octet


HS

* Hugh Maguire's 4tet and another well-known 4tet (I've forgotten their names.)

[aeolium]

Who is your prefered Quartet for Haydn? I collected the Kodaly on Naxos, but I much prefer what I have heard from the Tokyo.

I don't really have a preferred ensemble for these works, having enjoyed many different interpretations over the years. I like some of the Kodaly recordings, the Lindsays (who did a fine complete cycle at Wigmore Hall some years back), the Endellions for op 54, the Tatrai for op 50, the old Pro Arte whose remastered recordings can be found at pristineclassical, the Aeolian, the Takacs - it's an endlessly rewarding exploration

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I admire the Tokyo Bartok, but I will always prefer the Emersons or the Julliard here. The Tokyo tends to smooth out to many edges that should stay rough and abrasive.

The Julliards, yes (as always) but I've always disliked the Emersons' one-dimensional, "third-degree spotlight" approach to Music-making: there's a multitude of nuances in these works that get bulldozed over (not helped by DG's "up close and personal" mic-ing). The Tokyos (and the Lindsays, whose performances of the complete cycle were my real introduction to the works) find these nuances and I find this brings out the violence of the aggressive Music all the more. I don't find the opening of the Tokyo's Fourth Quartet at all "smoothed out": a bone-dry Martini of a performance!

Feldman is a recent-ish discovery for me - ever since Graham MacKenzie's first season in charge of the Huddersfield Festival. The Tilbury/Smith recordings originate from these performances.

[Bryn]

...

Feldman is a recent-ish discovery for me - ever since Graham MacKenzie's first season in charge of the Huddersfield Festival. The Tilbury/Smith recordings originate from these performances.

A third audio DVD of the Trio, and a few of the shorter works from those 2006 performances is in preparation, as is one of last year's For Philip Guston. However, the latter is likely to be at least a couple of years away, I would think. A lot of delicate editing from rehearsals has to be done to mitigate the effects of Carla Rees's acute poor health at the time. I had to leave about half an hour before the end of the performance to get the last coach back to London but have since heard the unedited recording. Carla's cough was really quite severe towards the close.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

A lot of delicate editing from rehearsals has to be done to mitigate the effects of Carla Rees's acute poor health at the time. I had to leave about half an hour before the end of the performance to get the last coach back to London but have since heard the unedited recording. Carla's cough was really quite severe towards the close.

A magical (no other word in my vocabulary) event even so - I was transfixed al the way through: and she was given a heart-felt cheer from the audience all her own at the end! But I wouldn't want a recording without the coughs edited out. Excellent news about the Trio, though!

[Parry1912]

Brahm's: Piano Quintet - The Lindsays with Peter Frankl
Debussy/Franck: Violin Sonatas - Chung/Lupu
The Emerson Quartet's 'Haydn Project' on 2CDs
Beethoven: 'Spring' and 'Kreutzer' Sonatas - Perlman/Ashkenazy
Beethoven: Horn Sonata - Bloom/Barenboim
Prokofiev: Sonata for Two Violins - Perlman/Zukerman

among others!

[vinteuil]

Who is your preferred Quartet for Haydn?

... currently - many thanks to Bryn of this paroisse - am getting much joy from the London Haydn Quartet.

But other firm favourites are the Festetics and the Mosaïques and the Salomon quartets.

For a complete box, the Angeles quartet on philips give you a good clean reading, with much to enjoy...

[gurnemanz]

Ravel: Introduction & Allegro - Osian Ellis with the Melos Ensemble

That could certainly have been on my list above. It was on one of my very first LP purchases umpteen years and I was very happy to find it included on the excellent Melos EMI Icon box.

[verismissimo]

Brahm's: Piano Quintet - The Lindsays with Peter Serkin

Frankl rather than Serkin, I think. Great performance!

[Bryn]

... am getting much joy from the London Haydn Quartet.

Best price for an advance order of the Op. 33 set seems to be that at amazon.co.uk, £9.86 including p&p (with Super Saver delivery option selected). Less than a month to go now.

[vinteuil]

Best price for an advance order of the Op. 33 set seems to be that at amazon.co.uk, £9.86 including p&p (with Super Saver delivery option selected). Less than a month to go now.

... thanks for the hint!

[Parry1912]

Frankl rather than Serkin, I think. Great performance!

You're quite right!

I knew it was Peter something!

[Bryn]

... thanks for the hint!

I note that they play from the Schmitt edition of 1782, rather then the original Artaria of earlier the same year. There are numerous differences in tempo and dynamic indications, and some movement order changes between the editions. The booklet notes advise that the players kept both editions to hand during the recording sessions.

[Barbirollians]

I am minded to add Argerich's stupendous recording of Zarebski's Piano Quintet to the list . It is exquisite .

[richardfinegold]

I am minded to add Argerich's stupendous recording of Zarebski's Piano Quintet to the list . It is exquisite .

Zarebski?