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 Johannes Brahms
Composers are generally known for their large-scale orchestral works. When you think of Brahms, what comes to mind? 4 large symphonies, 2 piano concertos and a violin concerto. All huge works, worthy successors to Beethoven.
Yet these all came relatively late in Brahms' career. His true love was a more pure form of music and in fact his chamber pieces far outnumber the larger works.
The list is impressive in its size and diversity of styles: three string quartets, three piano trios, three piano quartets, three violin sonatas, two each of string quintets, cello sonatas, and string sextets, and a clarinet quintet, horn trio, and piano quintet each.
Now you may be thinking "I'm not really into chamber music.Its too serious. Its too boring". Well the Brahms pieces in this boxed set may change your thinking. These pieces have everything. They are melodious, moving, simple in construction, but complex on reflection. They are easy to digest, and a wonderful introduction to the genre.
Brahms was heavily influenced by folk music, which he regarded as the essence of true music. Folk themes come through in these pieces, either Austrian lieder or the pseudo-Hungarian motifs so popular in Vienna in the latter half of the 19th century. This brings a certain enchanting simplicity to these works, easy on the palate with no bitter aftertaste.
Now a 11 CD boxed set is not a small commitment, but let me convince you it is worth every penny. There are some treasures in this box. This is really, really good music. Listen to the Allegro from Piano Quintet in F minor. And it is music that may never cross your path any other way.
And if you've never heard the Brahms Violin Sonatas, you're in for a treat. The 3 sonatas form a coherent set. The first is languid, the second melodic and the third rich in melody and expressiveness. Listen to Arthur Grumiaux and György Sebök playing the Adagio from the third Violin Sonata.
Not to mention that at $64, this box works out at less than $6 per disc. The packaging is handsome and the entire collection takes up as much room as just 2 ordinary CDs.
 Beaux Arts Trio
As for the performances, this is a large and varied collection. Its going to be impossible to please all listeners all the time. By and large, these are excellent, often superlative performances. The performances by the Beaux Arts Trio (made up of Menahem Pressler, Isador Cohen and Bernard Greenhouse) are superb. They have a understated competence, or when the music asks, a fiery sense of fun.
I find the recordings by the Berlin Philharmonic Octet a little open and resonant, which goes against the feeling of a small "chamber". The recording of the quartets are, conversely, a little close, which picks a bit of extra recording noise. These, however, are my own opinons, and the ear of the beholder may have different taste.
You would be hard-pressed to collect these pieces individually to such a high standard, and certainly not for the price.
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Track Listing
Johannes Brahms
Complete Chamber Music
11 CD Boxed Set
Various Artists
- Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8
Beaux Arts Trio, Bernard Greenhouse, Daniel Guilet, Menahem Pressler
- Trio for Horn (or viola or cello), Violin & Piano in E flat major, Op. 40
Arthur Grumiaux, Francis Orval, Gyorgy Sebok
- Piano Trio No. 2 in C major, Op. 87
Beaux Arts Trio, Bernard Greenhouse, Daniel Guilet
- Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor, Op. 101
Beaux Arts Trio, Bernard Greenhouse, Daniel Guilet
- Trio for Clarinet (or viola), Cello & Piano in A minor, Op. 114
Beaux Arts Trio, Bernard Greenhouse, George Pieterson, Menahem Pressler
- Sonata for violin & piano No. 1 in G major ("Regen"), Op. 78
Arthur Grumiaux, Gyorgy Sebok
- Sonata for Violin & Piano No. 2 in A major ("Thun"), Op. 100
Arthur Grumiaux, Gyorgy Sebok
- Sonata for Violin & Piano No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108
Arthur Grumiaux, Gyorgy Sebok
- Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34a
Berlin Philharmonic Octet, Werner Haas, Rudolf Hartmann, Kunio Tsuchiya, Alfred Malacek, Peter Steiner
- String Quintet No. 1 in F major ("Spring"), Op. 88
Berlin Philharmonic Octet, Kunio Tsuchiya, Dietrich Gerhard, Alfred Malacek, Ferdinand Mezger, Peter Steiner
- String Quintet No. 2 in G major, Op. 111
Berlin Philharmonic Octet, Kunio Tsuchiya, Dietrich Gerhard, Alfred Maecek, Ferdinand Mezger, Peter Steiner
- Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115
Berlin Philharmonic Octet, Herbert Stahr, Kunio Tsuchiya, Alfred Maecek, Ferdinand Mezger, Peter Steiner
- Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25
Beaux Arts Trio, Isidore Cohen, Bernard Greenhouse, Menahem Pressler, Walter Trampler
- Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor ("Werther"), Op. 60
Beaux Arts Trio, Isidore Cohen, Bernard Greenhouse, Menahem Pressler, Walter Trampler
- Piano Quartet No. 2 in A major, Op. 26
Beaux Arts Trio, Isidore Cohen, Bernard Greenhouse, Menahem Pressler, Walter Trampler
- Piano Trio No. 4 in A major (spurious?), Anh. 4/5
Beaux Arts Trio, Bernard Greenhouse, Daniel Guilet, Menahem Pressler, Walter Trampler
- Sonata for Cello & Piano No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38
Gyorgy Sebok, Janos Starker
- Sonata for Cello & Piano No. 2 in F major, Op. 99
Gyorgy Sebok, Janos Starker
- Sonata for Clarinet (or viola) & Piano No. 1 in F minor, Op. 120/1
Hephzibah Menuhin, George Pieterson
- Sonata for Clarinet (or viola) & Piano No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 120/2
Hephzibah Menuhin, George Pieterson
- String Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 51/1
Paolo Borciani, Piero Farulli, Elisa Pegreffi, Quartetto Italiano, Franco Rossi
- String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 51/2
Paolo Borciani, Piero Farulli, Elisa Pegreffi, Quartetto Italiano, Franco Rossi
- String Quartet No. 3 in B flat major, Op. 67
Paolo Borciani, Piero Farulli, Elisa Pegreffi, Quartetto Italiano, Franco Rossi
- String Sextet No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 18
Berlin Philharmonic Octet, Rudolf Hartmann, Emil Maas, Ulrich Fritze, Heinrich Majowski, Alfred Malacek, Peter Steiner
- String Sextet No. 2 in G major, Op. 36
Berlin Philharmonic Octet, Emil Maas, Kunio Tsuchiya, Dietrich Gerhard, Heinrich Majowski, Alfred Malacek, Peter Steiner
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