Greatest/Favorite Brahms chamber work

[mc ukrneal]

I've heard the first one a number of times, but not recently.  I don't think I've ever heard No. 3.

I recently decided to purchase The Complete Brahms boxed set on Brilliant - just because I am a completist.

I listen to one disc a week from this set, and last week was the Clarinet Trio and the Piano Trio No 2. 

I'll be working my way through all of them eventually (if I live that long ).

The one from Hyperion? That is an excellent buy. I think you will have many enjoyable hours with that one.

[Octo_Russ]

I'm surprised that no one voted for his String Quartets, once you really get to know them, they're bustling with brilliant ideas, i especially like the first movement of the First Quartet.

[jwinter]

At work, for the past couple of days I've had my ipod shuffling through Brahms chamber & piano music -- very nice indeed.  Definitely music I need to spend more time with.

[Concord]

Voted for the Clarinet Quintet, but I agree with Octo_Russ about the string quartets. They seem to be overlooked by everyone, and not just here. I am particularly fond of the Third, which I believe was the composer's own favorite.

And let's not forget the great Horn Thingie.

[Leon]

For those people who are noticing that the string quartets have received zero votes, and wondering why - what's stopping you from voting for them?

[North Star]

For those people who are noticing that the string quartets have received zero votes, and wondering why - what's stopping you from voting for them?

We voted for All!.

[Octo_Russ]

For those people who are noticing that the string quartets have received zero votes, and wondering why - what's stopping you from voting for them?

Ah, because the poll deems you can only vote for one, and i voted for the Violin Sonata 2, but if we could vote for our top five say, then i'm sure i would have thrown a vote in his String Quartet direction, seems like everyone likes the Piano and Clarinet Quintets the most.

[Florestan]

We voted for All!.

Hear, hear!

[Concord]

Well, somebody's got to say it: Yay, Brahms.

[bhodges]

Somehow missed this poll, and I'm in the "all" camp. Don't recall a single chamber work by Brahms that I didn't find gratifying in some way. That said, interesting how his work involving clarinet is just so, so stellar.

--Bruce

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Revised top4, in no particular order:

String quartet no. 3 op. 67
String sextet no. 1 op. 18
Violin sonata no.3 op. 108
String quintet no. 2 op. 111

His other violin sonatas and other string ensemble works I didn't mention are top-class as well.

From piano quartets my favorite is probably no. 2, a really underrated work, people usually prefer the 1st and 3rd ones.

Clarinet trio is really awesome, quite possibly my favorite from his 4 clarinet chamber music works. Although those last 4 clarinet works are probably the works of his that I've explored the least so sonatas or quintet can beat it some day.

[Jo498]

I certainly would not want to narrow it down to one, so I should vote "all" (I did not vote so far). As I wrote in the other thread, it's faster to list the ones that are not great favorites (although certainly not disliked, only liked considerably less). Namely, the 2nd cello sonata and the C major piano trio.

I clearly prefer the revised version of op.8 (of course, I got to know it first and know it much better than the early version). I have a soft spot for some of the other early pieces although they might be too sprawling as well (Sextet op.18 and piano quartet A major).
The string quartets are comparably tough nuts, my fav is probably the a minor, I am not so fond of the middle movements of the c minor and the B major is not a clear favorite either. For some reason I do not know the horn trio well enough to really comment; I should listen to it again.

[amw]

top five (probably)

G major sextet op. 36
G major violin sonata op. 78
E minor cello sonata op. 38
F major quintet op. 88
C minor quartet op. 60 ('objectively' the greatest although I often prefer the A major)

First version of op. 8 is good, but kind of 'out there' for Brahms—the revision definitely improves matters despite being a less interesting piece on a lot of levels.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Dang it, I forgot the e minor cello sonata!

C major piano trio.

Funnily, I've read it was one of the only chamber music works of Brahms that were unquestionably enthusiastically received during his lifetime. My memory could fail me, though... I don't like that one so much either... the same with f major cello sonata.

[Jo498]

I don't remember the details about the early op.8. I think I liked the longer slow movement with the Beethoven (ferne Geliebte) quotes or whatever, but the first movement with this strange fugato sections seemed interminable and incoherent.

To list 5 favorites

Clarinet quintet
Piano quintet
E flat major clarinet sonata
G major violin sonata
g minor piano quartet despite the somewhat corny finale (the c minor is great but too suicidal for me)

[quintett op.57]

String quintet n°2 is by far my favourite Brahms chamber piece.

I guess it's pretty unknown.
It's so rich & diverse.

Not melodic like the sextets. It's more about melodic transformations. The second movement reminds me of the strange slow movement in Haydn's op.54 n°3.

Probably one of Schönberg's favourite piece of music. Many similarities with the Verklärte Nacht sextet.

[Ken B]

String quintet n°2 is by far my favourite Brahms chamber piece.

I guess it's pretty unknown.
It's so rich & diverse.

Not melodic like the sextets. It's more about melodic transformations. The second movement reminds me of the strange slow movement in Haydn's op.54 n°3.

Probably one of Schönberg's favourite piece of music. Many similarities with the Verklärte Nacht sextet.

I know it.  yeah,i like both of them but this one especially.

[not edward]

Surprised I'm the only vote for the last of the piano trios. A perfect mix of tautness and autumnal lyricism that places it even above the clarinet works for me.

The Suk/Starker/Katchen recording of it would be one of my desert island discs.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Surprised I'm the only vote for the last of the piano trios. A perfect mix of tautness and autumnal lyricism that places it even above the clarinet works for me.

I picked it. It's in my "all" vote.

[North Star]

I picked it. It's in my "all" vote.

+1