Brahms: The Three Piano Quartets

On this CD:

1. Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25
Composed by Johannes Brahms
Performed by Rostislav Dubinsky, Luba Edlina, Rivka Golani, Yuli Turovsky

2. Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor ("Werther"), Op. 60
Composed by Johannes Brahms
Performed by Rostislav Dubinsky, Luba Edlina, Rivka Golani, Yuli Turovsky

3. Piano Quartet No. 2 in A major, Op. 26
Composed by Johannes Brahms
Performed by Rostislav Dubinsky, Luba Edlina, Rivka Golani, Yuli Turovsky

Tracks:

Piano Quartet In G Minor, Op. 25: 1. Allegro - J. Brahms
Piano Quartet In G Minor, Op. 25: 2. Intermezzo. Allegro ma non troppo - J. Brahms
Piano Quartet In G Minor, Op. 25: 3. Andante con moto - J. Brahms
Piano Quartet In G Minor, Op. 25: 4. Rondo alla Zingarese. Presto - J. Brahms
Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 60: 1. Allegro ma non troppo - J. Brahms
Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 60: 2. Scherzo. Allegro - J. Brahms
Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 60: 3. Andante - J. Brahms
Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 60: Finale. Allegro - J. Brahms

Tracks:

Piano Quartet in A, Op. 26: 1. Allegro non troppo - Brahms
Piano Quartet in A, Op. 26: 2. Poco adagio - Brahms
Piano Quartet in A, Op. 26: 3. Scherzo. Poco allegro - Brahms
Piano Quartet in A, Op. 26: 4. Finale. Allegro - Brahms
Piano Trio in A, Op. posth.: 1. Moderato - Brahms
Piano Trio in A, Op. posth.: 2. Vivace - Brahms
Piano Trio in A, Op. posth.: 3. Lento - Brahms
Piano Trio in A, Op. posth.: 4. Presto - Brahms

Customer Reviews:

great musicians.......2005-10-09

These are dense pieces and like a lot of Brahms could become overly heavy and plodding in the wrong hands. On this CD the Beaux Arts really bring out the romantic lyrical quality of this music unfailingly. The recording itself is just a hair distant but the detail is good. What fantastic piano one finds on these CDs! Strongly recommended.

An older recording, but still amazing.......2002-06-23

This collection of Brahms' piano quartets are a great listen all around. Every quartet has an enormous power and beauty to it.

I like to say about Brahms' music that it is airtight. There is never a wasted note. Every bit of melody, every nuance and texture in the harmony are masterfully crafted and serve a purpose. There is never a moment when you look at your watch and wonder when the composer is going to get around to wrapping this or that section up and get to the exciting stuff.

The Beaux Arts Trio along with Walter Trampler do a commendable job of bringing every moment of beauty and excitement out. They balance the sweetness of the slow movements and melodies well with the aggression and rhythmic complexities of the quicker movements. My current favorite quartet is the A Major. There is a singable melody or rhythmic puzzle in every movement. I listened to the final movement four times today (excessive I know, but it's just so much fun to try to figure out how Brahms manipulates those melodies within the time signatures)!

great recording.......2002-05-17

This is chamber music at its best played by the masters, the Beaux Arts Trio. All the pieces are played in a crisp, clean manner with the proper emotion and phrasing.

Very good!.......2001-04-01

I am an avid Brahms fan and just recently picked up this copy of the quartets. I love them! The rondo of the first quartet is fascinating and the pain in the C minor trio is unmistakable. As traditional as Brahms is, he is a definate romantic. I agree [...] about the last trio that is attributed to him. It isn't as good by far. The sound is very clear and the pianist on the recordings impressed me. If you don't own the quartets, go ahead and buy this set. You won't be dissapointed!

stirring!.......2000-01-10

I have only recently begun to love Brahms and these recordings make me question why it's taken so long! The music is incredibly rich and colorful, especially the C minor, Werther's Ballad, which you can just feel Brahms pain at losing his friend Robert Schumann! The Beaux Arts Trio is a sure winner! You will enjoy this!

Brahms: Piano Trios Nos. 1, 2 & 3; Piano Quartets Nos. 1, 2 & 3

Average customer rating:

This is TRUE chamber music
Gorgeous music, great performance
Brilliant Recording, Excellent Deal

Brahms: Piano Trios Nos. 1, 2 & 3; Piano Quartets Nos. 1, 2 & 3

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Mendelssohn: Piano Trios Op. 49 & Op. 66
Belcea Quartet ~ Debussy · Dutilleux · Ravel
Brahms: Complete String Quartets, Quintets & Sextets
Schumann: Complete Piano Trios
Brahms: Works for Solo Piano

ASIN: B000002A8T
Release Date: 1995-12-05

Tracks:

Trio For Violin, Violincello, And Piano No. 1 In B Major, Op. 8: I. Allegro Con Brio - J. Brahms
Trio For Violin, Violincello, And Piano No. 1 In B Major, Op. 8: II. Scherzo. Allegro Molto - Trio. Meno Allegro - J. Brahms
Trio For Violin, Violincello, And Piano No. 1 In B Major, Op. 8: III. Adagio - J. Brahms
Trio For Violin, Violincello, And Piano No. 1 In B Major, Op. 8: IV. Finale. Allegro - J. Brahms
Trio For Violin, Violincello, And Piano No. 2 In C Major, Op. 87: I. Allegro - J. Brahms
Trio For Violin, Violincello, And Piano No. 2 In C Major, Op. 87: II. Adante Con Moto - J. Brahms
Trio For Violin, Violincello, And Piano No. 2 In C Major, Op. 87: III. Scherzo. Presto - Poco Meno Presto - J. Brahms
Trio For Violin, Violincello, And Piano No. 2 In C Major, Op. 87: IV. Finale. Allegro Giocoso - J. Brahms

Tracks:

Trio For Violin, Violincello And Piano No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 101: I. Allegro Energico - J. Brahms
Trio For Violin, Violincello And Piano No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 101: II. Presto Non Assai - J. Brahms
Trio For Violin, Violincello And Piano No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 101: III. Andante Grazioso - J. Brahms
Trio For Violin, Violincello And Piano No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 101: IV. Allegro Molto - J. Brahms
Quartet For Violin, Viola, Violincello And Piano No. 2 In A Major, Op. 26: I. Allegro Non Troppo - J. Brahms
Quartet For Violin, Viola, Violincello And Piano No. 2 In A Major, Op. 26: II. Poco Adagio - J. Brahms
Quartet For Violin, Viola, Violincello And Piano No. 2 In A Major, Op. 26: III. Scherzo. Poco Allegro - Trio - J. Brahms
Quartet For Violin, Viola, Violincello And Piano No. 2 In A Major, Op. 26: IV. Finale. Allegro - J. Brahms

Tracks:

Quartet For Violin, Viola, Violincello And Piano No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 25: I. Allegro - Brahms
Quartet For Violin, Viola, Violincello And Piano No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 25: II. Intermezzo. Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Trio. Animato - Brahms
Quartet For Violin, Viola, Violincello And Piano No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 25: III. Andante Con Moto - Brahms
Quartet For Violin, Viola, Violincello And Piano No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 25: IV. Rondo All Zingarese. Presto - Brahms
Quartet For Violin, Viola, Violincello And Piano No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 60: I. Allegro Non Troppo - Brahms
Quartet For Violin, Viola, Violincello And Piano No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 60: II. Scherzo. Allegro - Brahms
Quartet For Violin, Viola, Violincello And Piano No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 60: III. Andante - Brahms
Quartet For Violin, Viola, Violincello And Piano No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 60: IV. Finale. Allegro Comodo - Brahms

Customer Reviews:

This is TRUE chamber music.......2005-10-18

These CD's contain some of the best chamber music ever recorded.
Each member of the ensemble seems to fit in without ever dominating.

If you want to hear how chamber music should be played - get these discs!

Gorgeous music, great performance.......2003-05-13

This is one of my favorite CD's. Excellent musicianship and sound quality are a bonus. The real draw to this cd, however, is the passionate interpretation the music. They really capture the emotion behind Brahms' music. I would recommend this to anyone who likes chamber music.

Brilliant Recording, Excellent Deal.......2000-04-19

This album is by far the most crisply recorded, lusciously played, and reasonably priced of all recordings of Brahms' chamber music. There is a 2-CD version with just the quartets for marginally less, but this is the one to get. There's plenty written about the recent Ma, Stern, Laredo, Ax effort (hard not to, considering that cast), which won Gramophone Magazine's best chamber album of the year. The trios are of equally fine quality (Stern is just as luminous in this much earlier performance), in rich, dark analogue sound, and make a superb offer in and of themselves. When coupled with the quartets for roughly the same price. . .? You really can't go wrong. A must buy.

Average customer rating:

Brahms Well Served by Domus
Voluptuous music and glorious ensemble

Brahms: Piano Quartets

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Fauré: Piano Quintets
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Johannes Brahms: Piano Quartet In G Minor, Op. 25/Variations And Fugue On A Theme By Handel, Op. 24
Great Recordings Of The Century - Brahms: Violin Sonatas nos 1 - 3 / Perlman, Ashkenazy

ASIN: B000026CIE
Release Date: 2000-02-01

Tracks:

Pno Qt No.1 in g, Op.25: I. Allegro
Pno Qt No.1 in g, Op.25: II. Intermezzo. Allegro (Ma Non Troppo)
Pno Qt No.1 in g, Op.25: III. Andante Con Moto
Pno Qt No.1 in g, Op.25: IV. Rondo Alla Zingarese. Presto
Pno Qt No.3 in c, Op.60: I. Allegro Non Troppo
Pno Qt No.3 in c, Op.60: II. Scherzo. Allegro
Pno Qt No.3 in c, Op.60: III. Andante
Pno Qt No.3 in c, Op.60: IV. Finale. Allegro Comodo

Tracks:

Pno Qt No.2 in A, Op.26: I. Allegro Non Tropo
Pno Qt No.2 in A, Op.26: II. Poco Adagio
Pno Qt No.2 in A, Op.26: III. Scherzo: Poco Allegro
Pno Qt No.2 in A, Op.26: IV. Finale: Allegro
Pno Qt Movt

Customer Reviews:

Brahms Well Served by Domus.......2004-04-27

Brahms seems to achieve two very different ends in his music that exploits the minor keys. In compositions such as the First Symphony or the Piano Quintet, the minor key is used for dramatic effect. This is especially clear in the First Symphony, which follows the tried-and-true model of Beethoven's Fifth, with its progress from darkness to light and victory. With Brahms, the program is not very clear (not even so much as Beethoven's gloss for the Fifth Symphony's motto figure: "Thus fate knocks at the door"), but the drama is palpable nonetheless. On the other hand, in movements such as the passacaglia from the last movement of the Fourth Symphony, the minor key brings a sense of gravity that is truly tragic. Certainly this can be said of Brahms's C minor Piano Quartet. In fact, if Brahms did not provide a definite program for the high-strung first movement, at least he offered a literary parallel, telling early performers of the work that he had in mind a portrait of Young Werther, the hero of Goethe's novel, who blows his brains out for unrequited love. Behind the stormy passions of this tragic first movement is the history of Brahms's failed love affair with Clara Schumann.

It's a devastating musical portrait, magnificently sustained. The movement builds slowly to a great, quasi-symphonic climax at the start of the development section. Domus prepares this climax perfectly, unleashing it with all the fury and anguish it should have. In fact, they are in touch with all the emotions of this work, including the cooler, more Olympian drama of the scherzo, one of Brahms's very best, where the play of minor and major keys is like that of some lithe forest creatures chasing through sunlight and shadow. Maybe I wax too romantic here, but this is a beautiful movement and a beautiful performance of it. So, too, with the achingly nostalgic slow movement and the subdued passion of the finale. Gorgeous music beautifully played. Despite the huge popularity of the First Piano Quartet, in a performance like this it's clear the Third Quartet is the great work among Brahms's Quartets. In fact, I find it more commanding overall than the celebrated Piano Quintet, whose drama seems canned by comparison. The Quintet has always struck me (...)unsubtle, especially compared to this wonderful Third Quartet.

But the First Quartet is wonderfully entertaining, especially that gypsy finale, and Domus give it their all, too, in a performance and recording that are generally excellent, except that the piano seems occasionally to get swallowed in the reverberant acoustic, which tends only to beautify the playing of the other instruments. This is especially true in the last movement of Quartet No. 1, though it's something of a problem throughout the quartet. Still, the sound that Domus produces is both ample and homogeneous, unlike that of some more stellar quartets, who can't seem to help sounding like the individual stars the members are. This homogeneity also helps create a suave rendition of the Second Quartet, the Cinderella of the Brahms piano quartet canon, here given a lovely reading that makes a compelling case for this less assertive work, whose sixteen-minute first movement and ten-and-a-half-minute scherzo recall Schubert in temperament, melodic fecundity--and indifference to structural conciseness.

The early Mahler Quartet Movement is an interesting rarity and a nice makeweight for the second CD (the two disks together offer a very ample 137 minutes' worth of music). In fact, it's rather reminiscent of the first movement of Brahms's C Minor Quartet since Mahler, like Brahms, waits for the development section to unleash the decibels; it's all pretty restrained till then. But you won't return to this little piece often. No, you'll stick with the Brahms Quartets and, I think, enjoy them all thanks to Domus' superlative music-making. I also believe you'll agree with me that far and away the greatest of the Quartets is No. 3. Domus helps make that abundantly clear.

Voluptuous music and glorious ensemble.......2003-03-10

I am an avid fan of Brahms' chamber music. I own many recordings of his violin sonatas, viola sonatas, cello sonatas, piano trios, piano quintet, clarinet quintet and single recordings of the string sextets and string quartets. I purchased this recording in order to have a complete account of the piano quartets so that I could begin to fill in the gaps in my collection. I did not expect that I would end up regarding this recording as among my most favorite Brahms chamber music discs.

Brahms' chamber music is so voluptuous in its melody, harmony and couterpoint, and so richly evocative of his emotional world. His music evokes the widest spectrum of emotions ranging all the way from despair, poignancy and resignation to strength, resolve and festive joy. This recording does complete justice to Brahms' world.

What stands out in this recording is Domus' absolutely glorious ensemble. These players play as one. Where there are individual contributions, it is clear that these are talented individual instrumentalists. The string players' intonation is perfect and their solos are self-assured and sensitive, but their glory is how well they work together. The performers, the venue and the recorded sound all work together to create such incredible richness and immediacy. It's unfortunate that the sample tracks on this web page do not include the third movement of the 3rd quartet. I continue to listen to that single track over and over again. Once you hear Brahms in this kind of medium, it is difficult to go back to listen to anything with fewer instruments (for example his solo piano works).

I purchased another recording of the piano quartets for comparison (Ax, Stern, Laredo and Ma) and I expected to enjoy this recording more than the Domus recording as I am an avid admirer of each of these musicians. I came away preferring the Domus recording.

Tracks:

Allegro
Intermezzo: Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Trio: Animato
Andante Con Moto
Rondo Alla Zingarese: Presto
Allegro Non Troppo
Scherzo: Allegro
Andante
Finale: Allegro Comodo

Tracks:

Allegro Non Troppo
Poco Adagio
Scherzo: Poco Allegro - Trio
Finale: Allegro
Andante Moderato
Andante Non Troppo E Con Molto Espressione
Andante Con Moto

Customer Reviews:

The best available?.......2007-04-03

Having had the Ax/Stern/Laredo/Ma for a while, I wondered what this performance would be like.
It is as near perfection as can be imagined. There is no hint of strain in any of the parts of these exceptionally demanding works. It is a joy to hear such ensemble playing with Hamelin leading - but not dominating the ensemble.
The addition of the late Brahms pieces enhances the issue and hopefully there will be more to come!
If you have any doubts - try the samples and then I am sure you will buy!

Brahms: The Piano Quartets, Opp. 25, 26 & 60

Average customer rating:

Magnificent
Fire Away!
Brahms
Famous four tackle Brahms
quite good, overall

Brahms: The Piano Quartets, Opp. 25, 26 & 60

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Schumann: Piano Quartet in Ef Op 47; Beethoven: Quartet in Ef Op 16
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Brahms: Works for Solo Piano

ASIN: B000002708
Release Date: 1991-01-14

Tracks:

Piano Quartet, Op. 25 (G Minor): I - Allegro - Brahms
Piano Quartet, Op. 25 (G Minor): II - Intermezzo: Allegro, ma non troppo; Trio: Animato - Brahms
Piano Quartet, Op. 25 (G Minor): III - Andante con moto - Brahms
Piano Quartet, Op. 25 (G Minor): IV - Rondo alla Zingarese: Presto - Brahms
Piano Quartet, Op. 60 (C Minor): I - Allegro non troppo - Brahms
Piano Quartet, Op. 60 (C Minor): II - Scherzo: Allegro - Brahms
Piano Quartet, Op. 60 (C Minor): III - Andante - Brahms
Piano Quartet, Op. 60 (C Minor): IV - Finale: Allegro comodo - Brahms

Tracks:

Piano Quartet, Op. 26 (A Major): I - Allegro non troppo - J. Brahms
Piano Quartet, Op. 26 (A Major): II - Poco adagio - J. Brahms
Piano Quartet, Op. 26 (A Major): III - Scherzo; Trio: Poco allegro - J. Brahms
Piano Quartet, Op. 26 (A Major): IV - Finale: Allegro - J. Brahms

Amazon.com essential recording

The piano quartet--one of music's many curious misnomers--relies on a particularly subtle interplay between its contrasting textures of strings and keyboard. The synergy of the four musicians on this CD (each a star on his respective instrument), as in their account of the Mozart piano quartets, creates a shared dynamic that brings the expressive depths that Brahms positively poured into this idiom. They've managed to develop a style of breathing together with a kind of lucidly organic inevitability.

The first quartet (in G minor) exhales Brahms's empathetic engagement with the chamber music of Schubert (the piece marked his Viennese debut) but would have a profound impact on Arnold Schoenberg, who wrote a notable essay on it extolling "Brahms the progressive" and later scored it for full orchestra. There's a similarly Schubertian leisureliness to the Quartet in A, but in these musicians' hands, its length unfolds as a horn of plenty, fertile in its musical invention, with an especially magical lushness in the romantic "Nachtstück" slow movement. But the real emotional centerpiece here is the C Minor Quartet (also known as the Werther Quartet from its purported inspiration in Goethe's novel). Ax, Stern, Laredo, and Ma bring a concentrated power and broiling originality to their account, instilling its moments of anguish and harmonic dislocation with searingly tragic energy. The Andante in particular emerges as a sustained rhapsody as the musicians play off each other's phrasing to build a statement of majestic eloquence. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Magnificent.......2006-12-27

To date, no recording has captured the wistfulness, pathos, and majesty of these works so well. This is as close to a definitive peformance as there can be.

Fire Away!.......2002-12-18

The young Johannes Brahms (pre-beard) was taken into the home of composer Robert Schumann and his wife, Clara (a virtuosa pianist in her own right), when he was still learning his craft. It seems that they were his parents in the area of music composition. But imagine how it tortured Brahms to be in love with Clara as Robert slowly deteriorated mentally. That's how the story goes anyway. Brahms (post-beard) wrote that the coversheet for the G minor quartet should have a picture of a man with a gun to his head. That may give you an idea about the maddening (and passionate) pace that this glorious piece occasionally takes.

It is truly beautiful...maybe my favorite chamber piece ever, but it's beautiful in a painful, aching way (if that makes sense). Ma's cello is steady and controlled at times, but rages in the furious, rich baritone range at others. Laredo and Ax seem to be somewhat sterile perfectionists on other recordings, but I think that they feel pretty comfortable with this group and loosen up a bit. Stern is masterful...forget what people say about him being too old on this recording.

Overall, all three quartets are genuine treasures. It often doesn't work out when heavyweight talents try to collaborate (i.e. any comedy starring Robin Williams AND Billy Crystal), but it definitely does on this recording. I wish I could remember to whom I "lent" mine.

Brahms.......2002-10-17

I think that Brahms had a stroke of genius when he wrote these quartets. They become even more magnificent when left to the artistry of these four musicians! This is one of my most treasured cds, and I would suggest it to anyone; musician, classical music fan, or just music fan. My favorite of the quartets is the g minor-it has such energy and is full of sound and substance. I wish that when I have the opportunity to play this (I play the viola) that it comes near to the quality of this recording. I also bought another cd of the same grouping of musicians and love it as well-these four have a magic together! I highly suggest this recording! It serves well to listen to for enjoyment, and also as a source for ideas of musicality.

Famous four tackle Brahms.......2002-06-28

These three pieces are some of the greatest in the literature, and for the most part this is a good recording. Unlike many chamber music collaborations between soloists, these four don't let the music disintegrate into a shouting match or an ego contest (thank goodness). However, as usual, Stern's sound is rather thin and doesn't quite hold up to the power and depth that Brahms demands; I would also prefer a "real" violist rather than a "switch-hitter", but Laredo is mostly admirable and perhaps he simply adjusted to better balance Stern's more slender tone. And nothing beats the slow movement of the c minor quartet - this and the third movement of Beethoven Op. 132 would be my choices for that old "If you could only take ____ to a desert island..." question. Overall a commendable collection; the good parts far outweigh the weak.

quite good, overall.......2002-05-24

Along with the piano quintet, B major trio and clarinet trio, these three works represent the best example of Brahms' chamber music writing for piano and strings. All three of these pieces are truly incredible, and this is a recording that for the most part does justice to them.
Often, classical music discs made up of some of the best performers in the world result in either commercial nonsense, such as the 3 Tenors, or polar extremes in musical ideas, such as Gould and Rose's Beethoven collaboration. This works better, as these are among the more mild performers on their respective instruments.
Ax has always been a fairly tame performer compared to some of the other great pianists like Martha Argerich. He plays the notes, and he generally plays them quite well, but he often fails to truly make the magical things happen.
Stern was no longer at the height of his powers at the time of this recording, but these quartets are technically fairly easy on the violin, and Stern's mind was certainly still working. He generally sounds quite good.
Laredo makes an excellent violist, subtly adjusting from his violin sound and normal position to blend in as a middle voice.
Ma was much younger when this was recorded, and sounds like it. He was a much simpler player, and wasn't nearly as adept at the incredible color changes and ideas he's learned to express over the last several years.
The g minor piano quartet is probably the weakest piece of the three, though it's still fine. This group takes all the tempi slightly faster, and the famous finale races along at an incredible pace. It's classic Hungarian Brahms, masterfully written and masterfully played.
The A major is a far more majestic piece, and also gets an excellent performance overall. Ax makes the minor section of the slow movement absolutely terrifying in one of his best performances, and the light scherzo and finale are kept sweet and simple.
The c minor is incredibly dark and somber, and is given the best performance by the quartet. There are times when the music could have flowed more - in Yo-Yo's solo in the third movement, there are numerous breaks in the line that don't follow the harmonic rhythm, but he plays so beautifully it hardly matters.
Overall, this is an excellent CD, not perfect, not unusual or distinct, but certainly a good recording of this great music, and worth owning.

Brahms: Piano Quartets Op. 25 & Op. 60, Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 65

Average customer rating:

A sage performance
Brahms and Rubinstein At Their Best...

Brahms: Piano Quartets Op. 25 & Op. 60, Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 65

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00005427M
Release Date: 2001-08-07

Tracks:

Pno Qt No.1 in g, Op.25: Allegro
Pno Qt No.1 in g, Op.25: Intermezzo: Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Trio: Animato
Pno Qt No.1 in g, Op.25: Andante Con Moto - Animato
Pno Qt No.1 in g, Op.25: Rondo Alla Zingarese: Presto - Meno Presto - Molto Presto
Pno Qt No.3 in c, Op.60: Allegro Ma NonTroppo
Pno Qt No.3 in c, Op.60: Scherzo: Allegro
Pno Qt No.3 in c, Op.60: Andante
Pno Qt No.3 in c, Op.60: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

A sage performance.......2004-09-17

There are few pianists as universally admired and as venerable as Artur Rubinstein, and with good reason. Rubinstein wins over audiences with his charm and his assiduous determination to produce interpretations as close as possible to the heart of the music he happens to be playing at any given time. True, Rubinstein doesn't always provide the flashiest or the most pyrotechnically brilliant performances, but his integrity and his strength of purpose, permeating everything he touches, is nearly always beyond even the slightest reprehension.
This recording is no different. The performances of the piano quartets presented here demonstrate every such trait, with added touches of brilliance most discernable in the final movement of the Op. 25....and to play so at such an age! With the redoubtable Guarneris as his partners, Rubinstein produces deeply satisfying accounts of this wonderful repertoire. Indeed the works are a good match for Rubinstein, for Brahms was another man who valued character and quality of craft over ephemera. This disc is magnificent. In every way here is a match made in heaven.

Brahms and Rubinstein At Their Best..........2002-08-18

This is one of the wonderful fruits of the Rubinstein-Guarneri collaboration. It is bewildering that Rubinstein had to arrive nearly to the age of eighty before he could find "his" string quartet, after seventy-five or so years of extensive music making. Rubinstein is, as always, revealed as a suberp Brahms interpreter, and the Guarneris just as exciting. The performers show a deep grasp of Brahms's emotionality, harmonic complexity, and, most of all, finely articulated structure. The tempos are just right, unlike the second piano quartet (appearing on a seperate volume), where the first movement is rather slow (go for the Beaux Arts Trio). Together with the devine piano quintet OP. 34 (also on a seperate volume), these three performances are flawless executions of chamber masterworks. A must for every fan of romantic chamber music!

Brahms: Piano Quartets, Opp. 25, 26, 60 [Hybrid SACD]

Average customer rating:

Music for those who love MUSIC!
Ravishing Brahms in Super Audio CD

Brahms: Piano Quartets, Opp. 25, 26, 60 [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: Pentatone
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Dvorák: Cello Concerto [Hybrid SACD]
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Mozart: Piano & Violin Sonatas [Hybrid SACD]
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Brahms: Clarinet Sonatas & Trio [Hybrid SACD]

ASIN: B0009KBMM6
Release Date: 2006-01-17

Customer Reviews:

Music for those who love MUSIC!.......2006-02-27

Brahms loved very much his quartets, especially Op.25 and Op.26. The Beaux Trio+1 put their hearts and minds to give possibly the best interpretation of that intimate music. I think, if only people could afford to spend 12 minutes of their time absorbing the Poco Adagio from Op.26, the world would be less corrupt and there wouldn't be any fascists-rulers.

Ravishing Brahms in Super Audio CD.......2006-01-25

I've loved the these performances of the Brahms Piano Quartets for more than twenty years. I owned them on LP and then again on CD when Philips issued them in that format. Now they are available again with a difference. These performances were originally recorded in the early 1970s in what was then the new quadraphonic system. Unfortunately what was recorded on tape was not really true to life on quadraphonic LP. When it was issued in CD it was in two-channel sound and although it was an improvement over the old LP versions, it still didn't include all four channels. Now it does! This two-CD issue, being hybrid SACD, contains both two-channel for regular CD players, and four-channel for SACD players. There is a clear difference between the two. The four-channel imparts a depth and richness not available on the regular CD (although I have to say that the regular CD is still pretty darn nice sounding).

As for the performances I have to admit my bias in favor of almost anything done by the Beaux Arts trio (here with the addition of violist Walter Trampler). They were (and still are) the premier piano trio before the public. (The personnel of the Beaux Arts has undergone some changes but Menahem Pressler, the last I heard, was still their pianist, and what a chamber musician he is!) These are subtle but exciting performances. The finale of the First Quartet just about raises the roof. My pulse quickened as I listened to it and I immediately replayed it as an encore! The pain and sadness of the Third Quartet is conveyed directly. (This is the one Brahms told his publisher should be published with a picture of a man with a gun to his head.)

Superb Brahms, superb performances, superb sound.

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

Brahms, Bridge, Turina: Piano Quartets
Amabile Piano Quartet , Johannes Brahms , Frank Bridge , and Joaquin Turina
Manufacturer: Summit(Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000038L1
Release Date: 2001-10-30

Tracks:

Allegro
Intermezzo - Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Andante Con Moto
Rondo Alla Zingarese - Presto
Phantasy Quartet In F# Minor
Lento
Vivo
Andante

Brahms: The Three String Quartets; Piano Quintet

Average customer rating:

A superb set
Passionate and Well-recorded Performances
It doesn't get better than these performances !
Most satisfying.

Brahms: The Three String Quartets; Piano Quintet

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
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Brahms: Complete Piano Quartets
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Brahms: The Complete Quintets

ASIN: B000002ZEL
Release Date: 1997-09-09

Tracks:

String Quartet In C Minor, Op. 51, No. 1: Allegro - J. Brahms
String Quartet In C Minor, Op. 51, No. 1: Romanze: Poco adagio - J. Brahms
String Quartet In C Minor, Op. 51, No. 1: Allegretto molto moderato e comodo - Un poco piu animato - J. Brahms
String Quartet In C Minor, Op. 51, No. 1: Allegro - J. Brahms
String Quartet In A Minor, Op. 51, No. 2: Allegro non troppo - J. Brahms
String Quartet In A Minor, Op. 51, No. 2: Andante moderato - J. Brahms
String Quartet In A Minor, Op. 51, No. 2: Quasi Menuetto, moderato - Allegro vivace - J. Brahms
String Quartet In A Minor, Op. 51, No. 2: Finale: Allegro non assai - J. Brahms

Tracks:

String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 67: Vivace - Johannes Brahms
String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 67: Andante - Johannes Brahms
String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 67: Agitato, Allegretto non troppo - Johannes Brahms
String Quartet In B Flat Major, Op. 67: Poco allegretto con variazoni - Johannes Brahms
Piano Quintet In F Minor, Op. 34: Allegro non troppo - Johannes Brahms
Piano Quintet In F Minor, Op. 34: Andante, un poco adagio - Johannes Brahms
Piano Quintet In F Minor, Op. 34: Scherzo: Allegro - Johannes Brahms
Piano Quintet In F Minor, Op. 34: Finale: Poco sostenuto - Allegro non troppo - Presto non troppo - Johannes Brahms

Customer Reviews:

A superb set.......2006-04-06

Brahms was well known for his somewhat pathological scrutiny of his compositions with a large number having their final resting place in the garbage can. And often those which survived were reworked and reworked until much of the spontaneity and freshness were squashed and replaced with a more rigid personna. Such seems the plight of the string quartets in general which are fairly dense and complex and don't quite flow as spontaneously as Brahms' beloved clarinet chamber music, Sextets or the Violin Sonatas.

Equally dense but brilliantly conceived is Brahms' Piano Quintet which is one of the three piano quintets in the 19th-century chamber music literature widely recognized as a true masterpiece (Dvorak's Op. 81 and Schumann's Op. 44 being the other two). It was a piece of grand proportions that underwent several transformations: from an early string quintet to music for two pianos (Op. 34b) and then to the final piano quintet. Its writing is thick and its mood formidable with each movement being as dramatic as the next. Brahms's earlier music was characterized by such rich, dense textures and seriousness of intent, and the piano quintet is one of the finer examples of this early emphasis (in contrast to the more relaxed, "autumnal" late works like the clarinet quintet).

As far as recordings for the piano quintet (and quartets for that matter), this one ranks with the best such as those of the legendary Quartetto Italiano with Maurizio Polini. In the piano quintet, Piers Lane and The New Budapest String Quartet find the right intensity, drive and vigor needed to propell this dynamic composition deep into the psyche of the listener. Even in the autumnal slow movements, they match the pristine tonal and lyrical beauty that the Quartetto Italianos were famous for in the 60's and 70's. But, the modern Hyperion sound quality slightly surpasses such vintage 60's analog transfers and makes this more of a recommended recording. Also, the ideal coupling adds to the appeal of this fine two-CD Hyperion DYAD set (DYAD is the Hyperion "two-for-one" budget sub-label somewhat like Philips' DUO's). Also worth noting is that this set received fine reviews from Penguin Guide and can be recommended without hesitation. But, for sure, the piano quintet is the star of the set with a very fine and rather exciting reading by Piers Lane and the Budapest Quartet. Compositions - 4 stars; Performance - 5 stars; Sound quality - 4.5 stars.

Passionate and Well-recorded Performances.......2004-09-18

The New Budapest quartet is not widely recorded - yet. This set, the first I had heard of theirs, made we want to hear more. As others have noted, the sound is excellent, warm and rich. It enhances the passionate intensity and intelligence of these performances. I had previously been familiar with the original Budapest's recordings on LP; the sound on these is much better. (I will not venture to compare the performances, since the original Budapest is simply in a class by itself.) These thoughtful interpretations reward repeated listening; I get some new insight or perspective each time I listen to one. The op. 67 almost sounded like a new piece when I heard it on this set. The third movment, mentioned in another review, is indeed different for Brahms, though I found it temperamentally reminiscent of another third movement, namely, the one in his third symphony. It is exquisitely rendered here. I cannot bear the piano quintet too often because of its emotional power. My other favorite recording is of the Guarneri with Rubinstein. This version lacks nothing. It brims with rich, articulate musicianship. Even the price is welcoming.

After hearing the Brahms, I searched out other recordings by this excellent and disciplined ensemble. I have been happy with their recordings of Borodin chamber music, d'Indy (the piano quintet is truly outstanding and features the same pianist) and the complete Beethoven quartets. The New Budapest preserves certain old school qualities in a modern context - in some respects they are the opposite of the Emerson Quartet, though both groups are technically accomplished. I find the New Budapest's recordings very rewarding and a pleasure to recommend. I look forward to hearing more from them.

It doesn't get better than these performances !.......2003-10-16

Rather than simply editing my previous inadequate commentary on these CDs (given quite a while ago), I think it's better, especially after more extended listening, that I return to them and offer, separately, a more thorough and informative review...Though the two string quartets are brothers of a sort, I find them to be two horses of a different color. The C minor No. 1 is more appealing to me. It has greater depth, and a very beautiful, poignant second movement romanze with a touch of sadness. Its first movement displays a masterful combination of diverse melodic elements--confident, bold musical strokes, mysterious tones, passion and moments of pleasant, flowing tunefulness. Though the third movement partially contains an element of tragedy, its theme and variations produce some of the most exquisite instrumental color changes I have heard. The final movement returns to the sense of drive characteristic of the opening movement. While the A minor, No.2 Quartet has its moments, e.g., a rich, flowing first movement with an intermittent melody reminiscent of the flavor of Brahms' Hungarian Dances, it can get to be a bit tiring, as it does in the second movement. Nonetheless, the New Budapest's quality of play throughout both works is exceptional.

The opus 67 Quartet reflects immediately its more cheerful major key mode. Though marked vivace, there are moments when cascading melodies are interspersed occasionally with slower moving, more serious tones. The sweet sounding andante is sporadically and faintly reminiscent of Mozart. The group gives it fluent expression. There's a winsome, almost exotic style that marks the third movement. In some ways, it is unlike anything I have ever heard before in Brahms' music. Very nice. At the onset of the last movement, I smile at the pleasant, seemingly Haydnesque refrain, which Brahms proceeds to develop through variation. A most enjoyable piece, superbly articulated by the performers.

The Piano Quintet in F minor is one of those truly masterful Brahmsian compositions. Though finished some time before his First Symphony, it clearly shows the kinds of signs that would later establish the composer as a giant among musicians. There is, at times, a monumental aspect which establishes itself early in the work, and with it, that wonderfully lyrical quality that so often typifies Brahms at his finest moments. And then, there's the gentle, tender, sometimes rhapsodic side, expressed in the musically sublime andante, played with great sensitivity by Piers Lane and the New Budapest Quartet. In the scherzo, the group's outstanding performance is evident also as it enhances, once again, the noble side of Brahms. The musical mastery of both the composer and performers carries into the dynamic and sometimes serenade-like atmosphere of the finale, where there is memorable playing from both pianist Lane and the stringed group. If you enjoy Brahms' chamber music, you will not be disappointed with these discs which, by the way, offer excellent sound. Very highly recommended.

Most satisfying........2003-01-15

These are all vigorous, sensitive and consistently musical performances by the New Budapest Quartet with Piers Lane. The pace seems ideal and the rich Brahmsian textures are admirably showcased. The Piano Quintet is given an especially fine interpretation. Hyperion's sound is excellent. If this side of Brahms' chamber music appeals to you, you would be hard pressed to find a better overall display of these works. A solid recommendation for these warmly presented pieces.