Brahms and Contemporaries, Vol. 2

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This is the second volume in the Mandelring Quartet's series of Audite recordings of the string quartets of Brahms coupled with string quartets of his lesser known contemporaries. The earlier volume coupled Brahms' C minor quartet with Friedrich Gernsheim's A minor quartet, the later volume coupled Brahms' A minor quartet with Felix Otto Dessoff's F major quartet, and this volume joins Brahms' B flat major quartet with Heinrich von Herzogenberg's G minor quartet. Both personally and musically, the connection between the two composers is closer here than in the other volumes: Herzogenberg married Brahms' good friend and former piano student Elisabet von Stockhausen, and Herzogenberg pretty clearly modeled his own works on Brahms'. Thus his four-movement quartet here has an approach to form, rhythm, and texture that recalls Brahms' own approach to such an extent that the unwary listener may be forgiven for confusing the two composers at first. As before in this series, the Mandelring Quartet is perhaps more persuasive in the lesser known work than in the better known work. Part of this is because there have been so many superlative recordings of Brahms' B flat quartet that it's hard for the Mandelring's version to stand out. And part of it is because the group seems to have more invested in the lesser known work. While the Mandelring Quartet is a terrific group with a strong tone, a supple sense of tempo, and a sure mastery of ensemble playing, its performance of Herzogenberg's work has an edge and an energy that its performance of the Brahms' work doesn't have. So while for fans of Brahms' quartets there may be other recordings that better capture the composer's trademark combination of reticence and passion, for listeners looking for something very much like Brahms but not Brahms, the Mandelring's Herzogenberg will be just the thing. Audite's digital sound is rich, clear, and full.
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