In 1862, the twenty-nine-year-old composer and pianist Johannes Brahms settled in Vienna, the capital of the western musical world. He introduced himself to that city’s musical elite with his Piano Quartet in g minor, the first of his eventual three.
The Quartet documents Brahms’ early maturity, in which, nearing his thirtieth birthday, the composer was able to fully assimilate the influences of Bach, Beethoven, and Schubert into a fully formed compositional voice. This period featured a number of outstanding chamber works: two String Sextets, opp. 18 and 36; the Opus 34 Piano Quintet; the Opus 38 Cello Sonata; the Opus 40 Horn Trio; and the first two Piano Quartets, opp. 25 and 26.
The Opus 25 is best known for its rousing finale, the famous Rondo alla Zingarese (Gypsy Rondo). The movement’s irresistible refrain, reflective of Brahms’ lifelong fascination with Hungarian folk music, moreover reveals the hand of a master musician, able to dash off a hit with ease.
Here are Tabea Zimmermann, viola, Clemens Hagen, Cello, Leif Ove Andsness, piano, and Krystian Zimmerman, violin to play this music for you:
