Brahms: Quartette (3), Op. 64

This charming disc presents a comprehensive selection of Brahms’s secular choral music. Through his professional activities, Brahms had a continuous interest in producing music for choirs, as well as profound insight into their capabilities. His impressive output of a cappella sacred choruses and motets makes learned and creative reference to such Baroque masters as Gabrieli, Schütz and Bach. Yet Brahms was equally adept in the traditions of the unaccompanied Romantic choral song, the Chorlied, following the lead of Schubert, Mendelssohn and Schumann, and adapting the form to his own characteristic ends. He also wrote a large number of vocal duets and quartets with piano accompaniment, including the popular Zigeunerlieder, which are testimony to his extraordinary fascination for gypsy music and its fertilizing effect on his style.

Selections from these secular forms are performed by the professional chamber choir Consortium, conducted by Andrew-John Smith, who will be familiar to Hyperion listeners from his acclaimed recording of Saint-Säens’ organ works.

Among the many distinguished recordings made specially by Deutsche Grammophon for its Complete Brahms Edition on LP released for the composer's 150th birth anniversary in 1983, that of the Liebeslieder Waltzes, with its star-studded cast, is one of the finest. It is now available at mid-price for the first time.

"Six grands noms pour des oeuvres d'une rare délicatesse." Opera International, Paris, November 1983

"It has taken a while for a recording of Brahms's Liebeslieder Walzer to appear which could justly take its place alongside the 1947 Seefried/Hotter version. Deutsche Grammophon's assembly of Mathis, Fassbaender, Schreier and Fischer-Dieskau is inspired: each voice is of sufficiently bright character to colour many a forgotten detail, yet they work together as true chamber musicians. The rare elegance and stylishness of Karl Engel's and Wolfgang Sawallisch's piano-playing, too, lifts the Op. 52 way above the party pieces these can so often become; they energize the bolder variety of the Op. 65 group, and enhance the word-painting of the three Op. 64 Quartets." Hilary Finch, The Times, London, July 1983

6 CD + CD ROM

Brahms conducted amateur choirs throughout his professional life, both as a useful source of income and because he enjoyed his contact with enthusiastic, amateur music-makers, not least the ladies in his various choirs. It also gave him a chance to explore music of former eras, by Bach, Schütz, Buxtehude and more, which Brahms considered a vital part of his musical heritage and which, practically speaking, he was bringing back to life in a culture that barely knew its own history.

We may with some justice speak of Brahms the periodinstrument pioneer. These splendid modern performances come from a choir of a similar size to the one Brahms would have recognised, and are directed by the experienced choral trainer Nicol Matt.

The 2011 10-CD bargain boxes from harmonia mundi from the hm gold collection. We know from experience that these will sell out quickly: incredible price, limited edition, while stocks last.

Featuring the following discs, originally released between 1983 & 1999:

HMC901270 BACH Trauerode / Herreweghe

HMC901592/93 BRAHMS Secular Choral / RIAS

HMC901551 KRENEK Lamentatio Jeremiae Prophetae / RIAS

HMC901247/48 MONTEVERDI / Vespro

HMU907397 BIBER Missa Christi Resurgentis / Manze

HMC901292 FAURE Requiem / Herreweghe

HMC901858/59 MAHLER Symphony no.8 / Nagano