Suggestions for Chamber music

[theaudiohobby]

Hi Folks,

I very much enjoy chamber music, but I have a very small collection of recordings of that genres, does any one have suggestions of outstanding chamber music recordings, anything from ancient music to recent compositions. I do not own a turntable, so CDs preferably SACD suggestions are much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[Dusty Chalk]

You must hunt down a copy of Schubert's 2nd Piano Trio in E flat. Pretty much any version except the Beaux Arts Trio -- they're way to romantic with the meter, Schubert's music is meant to be played as it is written...when done correctly, it plays itself. My personal favourite version is rather hard to find -- it's on Arts (arts.de), and performed by Trio Italiano: link to Arts' website. Also available on DVD-Audio. I think there's one or two available on SACD...I haven't heard the one on Naxos...yet...I have heard the one on Praga Digitals, that one is certainly adequate...yes, I would start with that one...

[funnyhat]

Some of my favorites: Beethoven quartets with the Juilliard Quartet, Bartok Quartets also with Juilliard (1963 recording), Shostakovich Quartets with Emerson Quartet, Brahms chamber music set with Amadeus quartet, Dvorak piano quartet and quintet with Emerson and Pressler, Dvorak Dumky piano trio with Beaux Art trio

[Pat D]

Hi Folks,

I very much enjoy chamber music, but I have a very small collection of recordings of that genres, does any one have suggestions of outstanding chamber music recordings, anything from ancient music to recent compositions. I do not own a turntable, so CDs preferably SACD suggestions are much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

I will give some of the great names and a few lesser ones such as Berwald, Smetana and Sibelius. We renovating the kitchen in living room and all my CDs are packed up so I can't get at them.

Haydn Quartets. Almost any of them. He is sort of the "father" of the string quartet, in the same sense that he is the "father" of the symphony, in that he introduced great music into both genres. The Kodaly Quartet on Naxos does very well.

Mozart Quartets, nos. 14-19 are dedicated to Haydn, and nos. 20-22 are also fine works. The Clarinet Quintet came out as the favorite work of more CBC listeners than any other. He also wrote 6 string quintets, but I only have a couple.

Beethoven Quartets. The Italian Quartet is great. Others think the Vegh quartet is special, but I haven't heard their recordings.

Schubert Quartets. Any of the late quartets. Everyone likes the Piano Quintet in A, D. 667, nicknamed the "Trout Quintet." The Octet in F, D. 803 is nice. Some think the String Quintet in C, D. 956, is the greatest of all chamber works--but most would give that honor to the late Beethoven Quartets.

Berwald, Grand Septet in B flat. There is a lovely recording on Naxos but the couplings are not such great works.

Schumann, String Quartets, nos. 1-3. Nice works. Piano Quintet in E flat.

Brahms, String Quartets, nos. 1-3. Piano Quintet in F, often coupled with the Schumann. He also did a couple of String Quintets and Sextets.

Dvorak, String Quartets. The later ones are great works and the Vlach Quartet recordings on Naxos are world class.

Smetana, Quartets Nos. 1 and 2. These are nice works, very good if not great music.

Debussy Quartet in G minor. The Italian Quartet is great on Philips.

Ravel, Quartet in F. Again, the Italian Quartet recording is great. Often coupled with the Debussy quartet. The Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet and String Quartet is a lovely work.

Sibelius, String Quartet in D minor, Op. 56, nicknamed "Voces intimae." Interesting work, not as great as his symphonies.

Bartok, Quartets Nos. 1-6. Some consider these to be the greatest string quartets since Beethoven. I've never warmed up to them, but I will try again some time. The Novak Quartet's recordings seems to make most sense of them to me.

Shostakovich, Quartets Nos. 1-13. These certainly have their fans. I have very few of them, so I can't really advise you.

[noddin0ff]

Second Beethoven Quartets w/ Julliard. I have the 3CD Late String Quartets - very good.

Recommend:

Bach: Six Suites for unaccompanied Cello - Yo Yo Ma (1983). Ma did it earlier in his career and he re-recorded some later for a PBS series. He's commented that his emotional maturity was lacking in this recording... still, its very good solo cello.

Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2, Cello Sonata (Isaac Stern, Yo Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax) 1987. More modern and dissonant but very moving.

I also like Kronos Quartet : Early Music (Lachrymae Antiquae) It's a mix of modern and early peices, very interesting but a lot of short pieces rather than a 4-part work.

[JohnMichael]

Lots of good suggestions and I would like to add one. The Emerson String Quartets 4 cd set of Felix Mendelssohn's String Quartets with the bonus of the Octet which I love and was recorded so the Emerson Quartet could play all the parts. It is excellent.

[Mr Peabody]

I'm not a big Chamber person but I have this album by Adagio Trio called Stillpoint that is very good. It's harp, flute and violin. It's the first time I've heard harp played like this, the instrument sounds like a group by itself. It's still adagio, it's just that the harp is very full, lovely and holds up it's third of the group very well.

[funnyhat]

More good solo cello: Truls Mork: solo Bach and Britten cello suites, Janos Starker: Kodaly solo cello sonata, Matt Haimovitz: new 3 cd set of 20th century solo cello rep
also check out Hausmusik recording of Mendelssohn string quintets and octet

[Rob B in CT]

Two favorites are:

- J.S. Bach: Sonatas for Cello and Piano performed by Mischa Maisky and Martha Argerich

- Mendelssohn: Songs Without Words performed by Andras Schiff