BaL 12.04.25 - Brahms: String sextet 1 in B flat, Op 18

[Pulcinella]

1500
Building a Library
Violinist Tasmin Little chooses her favourite recording of Brahms's String Sextet No. 1 in B flat, Op. 18 from the many available versions.

Virtuoso violinist Joseph Joachim led the ensemble that premiered Brahms's String Quartet No. 1 in October 1860. Brahms was 27 by the time he came to write his first Sextet. He clearly enjoyed the challenge, revelling in the unusually rich sonorities at his disposal. The Sextet also features significant use of Brahms's trademark ‘across the bar’ phrases of irregular length, employed here with maturity and delightfully telling effect.

Presto link here:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/works/20614--brahms-string-sextet-no-1-in-b-flat-major-op-18/browse

In case Alison is wondering, there isn't a BBC MM release.

[Barbirollians]

I have always been happy with the Raphael Ensemble recording .

[MickyD]

For me it has to be the excellent Hausmusik version.

[Roger Webb]

My first hearing of this was by accident, as the soundtrack to Louis Malle's 'Le feu follet', I was a teenager at the time and our local cinema (The Continentale) in Brighton was running a short series of Malle's films which I'd never seen. I was greatly taken by this music (and the film!) but it took me ages to track it down, in the end I found a Philips Lp secondhand with Casals and Stern recorded at the Prades Festival. Favourite modern version is the Raphael Ensemble on Hyperion mentioned above by Barbirollians.

Edit. Looking to see who played on the original soundtrack, I find that I've misremembered what music was used in which film. The Brahms was in Malle's Les Amants not Le Feu folle which had Satie, used so movingly. The Brahms was played by uncredited instrumentalists conducted by Serge Baudo....he started out as a film music conductor.

[smittims]

Yes, the Raphael are very good., possibly the best modern version. I tend to play vintage interpretations , such as Menuhin and friends (MId 1960s HMV) and even older , The Pro Arte Quartet with Alfred Hobday and Charlie Pini. Another good oldie is the Berlin Philharmonc soloists, a Philips recording from the 1960s I think. YouTube gives a date of 1966, which makes it contemporary with the Menuhin.

[Wolfram]

I have the Leipziers, who were the winners last time it was covered by BaL, but I stick with my long time favourite the augmented Amadeus Quartet. I doubt that I shall be investing further on this occasion.

[Mandryka]

You can't beet Menuhin and friends for gemütlichkeit.

[vinteuil]

... Hausmusik and l'Archibudelli here ; I've probably also got the Nash and the Amadeus tucked away somewhere.

I also like the transcription for piano four hands : vol 13 of Silke-Thora Matthies & Christian Köhn's survey for naxos

[CallMePaul]

... Hausmusik and l'Archibudelli here ; I've probably also got the Nash and the Amadeus tucked away somewhere.

I also like the transcription for piano four hands : vol 13 of Silke-Thora Matthies & Christian Köhn's survey for naxos

I am interested in the two HIPP performances you list but I have the (augmented) Lindsays performance of the two sextets. I have to admit to a preference for the G major sextet, though.

[Darloboy]

I have the Leipziers, who were the winners last time it was covered by BaL, but I stick with my long time favourite the augmented Amadeus Quartet. I doubt that I shall be investing further on this occasion.

Yes, the Leiozigers were chosen by Katy Hamilton in October 2016. Do we really need another programme on this work again do soon?

Prior to that, the only other occasion on which BaL has covered the string sextets was in September 1988 when Stephen Dodgson chose the Raphaels for both sextets.

[richardfinegold]

ASMF Chamber Players or the Marlboro pickup group that featured Alexander Schneider and the embryonic Guarneri Quartet