Brahms: Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor, Op. 60

The chamber works of Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) have long been seen as a window onto the German composer’s rigorous, intricate approach to composition and restrained yet Romantic style. This is true of his piano quartets; although he only composed three, in their individual characters and masterful control of musical material, they are an integral aspect of Brahms’s chamber output.

The Piano Quartet in G minor Op.25, the earliest of Brahms’s works in this genre, reveals the composer’s great creativity. Based on short motifs that are continuously extended and combined to form larger structures, it draws on song-like melodies in the first movement and Hungarian folk music in the finale, to create a work that, at times, seems to stray into the territory of orchestral music.

The second Quartet in A Op.26 is relaxed and expansive in comparison, with flowing, extended melodies that retain a sense of control and poise, while The Piano Quartet No.3 in C minor is the most dramatic, practically operatic in style. Since the initial release of this popular Brilliant Classics recording, its performers have gone from strength to strength. While Isabelle Faust has forged a reputation as one of the leading international violinists, particularly in chamber music, Derek Han, Bruno Giuranna and Alain Meunier are some of the most acclaimed musicians in their fields. Chamber music enthusiasts should not be without this world-class recording in their collections.

The Pro Arte Piano Quartet was made up of leading London-based instrumentalists, many of whom also played in the Melos Ensemble of London. Pianist Lamar Crowson was, and remains, one of the great chamber music pianists of all time (and a soloist in his own right). Kenneth Sillito led, for several years, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Terence Weil was principal cellist of the English Chamber Orchestra and, like viola player Cecil Aronowitz, a founding member of the Melos Ensemble. Together they made three records for L’Oiseau-Lyre, the Decca subsidiary and they are all now issued on Decca Eloquence from Australia.

If the year 1840 saw Schumann discover his talent for songwriting – more than 130 were composed that year – in 1842 he brought his beloved piano into the world of chamber music writing both, the Piano Quartet and the Piano Quintet that year. ‘They seemed to please players and listeners alike, particularly Mendelssohn’ he said of these works. Though vigorous and songful, it is not rugged – a quality which could be attributed to Brahms’s Piano Quartet No. 3. Though the last of the three to be published, it is conceivable that Brahms began work on it much earlier. Both pieces continue to be staples in the chamber music repertoire.

Fourth release on ONYX from “Britain’s premier chamber ensemble” (The Times) and second in their ongoing Brahms series, a generous 74 minute coupling containing the G Minor and C Minor Piano Quartets.

This new recording is produced by the legendary Andrew Keener who will also produce the next title in the series, the String Quintets for ONYX in December and the remaining Piano Quartet coupled with the Clarinet Trio in 2009.

Following their autumn 2007 release of Brahms’s Double Concerto and Clarinet Quintet Renaud Capuçon and Gautier Capuçon further their plan to record the composer’s complete solo and chamber works for Virgin Classics.

After Renaud’s collaboration with Nicholas Angelich for the violin sonatas, later joined by Gautier for the piano trios, French violist Gérard Caussé joined them in Lugano last December to record Brahms three Piano Quartets.

The mid-priced set brings together on two CDs all three of Brahms’ piano quartets, which although they were composed at the same time (even though Op. 62 was first performed in 1875), are very different in character and mood, from a lighter and more poetic nature in the first 2, opus, to a darker more sombre atmosphere in Op. 60.

The superb, German-based Milander Quartet make their recording debut with the first of two releases surveying Brahms’ Piano Quartets.

"Four excellent instrumental soloists have created a perfect ensemble" – was the critical response following the Milander Quartet’s debut at the Philharmonie in Munich. Since then the Quartet has quickly become popular in Germany and throughout Europe. With this release, the first of two surveying the Brahms Piano Quartets, the Milanders make their recording debut. Anchored by pianist Milana Chernyavska, who has collaborated with such artists as Julia Fischer and Adrian Brendel and recorded a solo disc for EMI, this continental ensemble of Ukrainian, French and Swiss-Hungarian musicians has been praised for its dedicated, sensitive and passionate playing. They have performed at festivals such as the Lucerne, Verbier, Schleswig-Holstein, Marlboro, Rheingau, the Casals Festival in Puerto Rico and the Festival de Radio France at Montpelier, and in venues including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Philharmonie in Berlin, Musikverein in Vienna, Wigmore Hall in London, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Herkulessaal in Munich, Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Moscow Conservatory, and St. Petersburg’s Philharmonic Hall.

The Milander Quartet’s recording debut extends to legacy of the late producer John Barnes who brought many young artists to Avie, including award-winning pianist Luiza Borac and violinist Rudens Turku, who collaborated with Milana Chernyavska on his first release for Avie. This recording was among John’s final projects.