Top 10 Favorite Quintets

[Jo498]

I like the first movement [of Brahms' piano quintet] far more than you do; it has enough passion and sweep that I do not start to think about overcompositions.
The finale is a little long and the andante a little too light for me, too.
The scherzo is really great, also for me among the best. Not too fond of the one from the 4th symphony although I can somewhat understand what is supposed to be great. My favorite orchestral scherzo by Brahms is the one from the 2nd piano concerto but he has a few very good ones in his chamber music that are actually scherzi, not more like intermezzi (as in symphonies 1-3 and elsewhere). E.g. in all the piano quartets, B major trio, 2nd clarinet sonata...

[Karl Henning]

I like the first movement far more than you do; it has enough passion and sweep that I do not start to think about overcompositions.
The finale is a little long and the andante a little too light for me, too.
The scherzo is really great, also for me among the best. Not too fond of the one from the 4th symphony although I can somewhat understand what is supposed to be great. My favorite orchestral scherzo by Brahms is the one from the 2nd piano concerto but he has a few very good ones in his chamber music that are actually scherzi, not more like intermezzi (as in symphonies 1-3 and elsewhere). E.g. in all the piano quartets, B major trio, 2nd clarinet sonata...

What piece are you talking about, by the way?

[Jo498]

Brahms' piano quintet.

[Karl Henning]

Thx

[Cato]

Another Russian composer's effort for your consideration:

Sergei Taneyev's Piano Quintet:

https://www.youtube.com/v/U0ilxBMFz6E

[Florestan]

My favorite orchestral scherzo by Brahms is the one from the 2nd piano concerto but he has a few very good ones in his chamber music that are actually scherzi, not more like intermezzi (as in symphonies 1-3 and elsewhere). E.g. in all the piano quartets, B major trio, 2nd clarinet sonata...

My favorite Brahms scherzo, period, and one of my favorite scherzi of all time. It doesn't get much better than that.

[Karl Henning]

Someone should mention Mladi, quick.

Oh, there. I just did.

Good.

That's the Favorite Sextets thread, next door 

[some guy]

That's the Favorite Sextets thread, next door 

Ah good catch. I've been out of performing so long, I can no longer count.

As it were.

[Karl Henning]

[SymphonicAddict]

Continuing with the listening of some other quintets, I've lately played the piano quintets by Taneyev, Weinberg, Raff, Martinu (both), Biarent and Le Flem. All of them are marvelous, excellent stuff there is, above all the Taneyev's, Weinberg's and the Martinu's Nr. 2. They were I liked the most. I find this kind of ensemble quite appealing.

[vandermolen]

Lately I have enjoyed many chamber works by several composers, among them piano and string quintets.

Not having listened to some important examples yet (but they are awaiting) [Taneyev (3), Bloch (2), Zarebski, Schmitt, Koechlin, Piston, Enescu, etc.], I'd say these ones:

Schubert: String quintet, D. 956 (mandatory)
Brahms: Piano quintet (mandatory)
Brahms: Clarinet quintet (mandatory)
Dvorák: Piano quintet, op. 81 (mandatory)
Novák: Piano quintet
Vierne: Piano quintet (sad, tragic, masterful)
Medtner: Piano quintet (gorgeous discovery!!)
Schnittke: Piano quintet
Vaughan Williams: Phantasy Quintet
Cras: Piano quintet (another recent discovery, stunning!!)

Other honorable/fantastic mentions:

Shostakovich: Piano quintet
Dvorák: Both string quintets opp. 77 and 97
Schmidt: Piano quintet (for left hand)
Atterberg: Piano quintet (arrangement of the 6th Symphony)
Elgar: Piano quintet
Gouvy: String quintet in G major
Suk: Piano quintet (magnific 2nd movement)

I must thank you for introducing me to the Atterberg, which is wonderful:

[SymphonicAddict]

I must thank you for introducing me to the Atterberg, which is wonderful:

That's good news!

I'm glad you have enjoyed it 

[vandermolen]

That's good news!

I'm glad you have enjoyed it 

Oh yes, very much so. The slow movement is especially moving in the Piano Quintet version. In fact that whole Marco Polo CD of Atterberg's chamber music is excellent.

[kyjo]

Shostakovich: Piano Quintet
Bloch (both piano quintets)
Vaughan Williams: Phantasy Quintet
Weinberg: Piano Quintet
Schnittke: Piano Quintet
Novak: Piano Quintet

Great list, Jeffrey. Bloch's first piano quintet is a stunningly powerful work with a movingly redemptive ending (I don't know the second, must rectify that). I discovered the Novak recently - a wonderful work with a beautiful theme and variations slow movement.

[kyjo]

Limiting myself to one per composer (I'm gonna be boring and list mainly piano quintets):

Schubert: String Quintet
Brahms: Piano Quintet (but the G major string quintet is a close second)
Schumann: Piano Quintet
Dvorak: Piano Quintet no. 2
Shostakovich: Piano Quintet
Bloch: Piano Quintet no. 1
Bartok: Piano Quintet (early piece in the late-romantic mold, a stunning discovery)
Dohnanyi: Piano Quintet no. 1
Vaughan Williams: Phantasy Quintet
Elgar: Piano Quintet

Honorable mentions: Mozart: String Quintet no. 4, Glazunov: String Quintet, Franck: Piano Quintet, Bax: Piano Quintet (his Harp Quintet is great too), Novak: Piano Quintet

[André]

If you like Atterberg's Oriental Suite (who wouldn't?) you owe it to yourself to discover it in its original orchestral garb. No unsung masterpiece, but beautifully crafted miniatures. That whole Musica Sveciae disk is gorgeous.

[vandermolen]

If you like Atterberg's Oriental Suite (who wouldn't?) you owe it to yourself to discover it in its original orchestral garb. No unsung masterpiece, but beautifully crafted miniatures. That whole Musica Sveciae disk is gorgeous.

That looks interesting Andre!
Never heard of it.
More bad news for my bank manager.

[kyjo]

Piano Quintets alone:
Bax
Bloch no. 1
Brahms
Dvořák no. 2
Elgar
Huré
Ornstein
Pejačević
Taneyev
Vaughan Williams

Other Quintets:
Bax: Harp Quintet
Brahms: String Quintet no. 2
Cras: Quintet for flute, harp, and string trio
Damase: Quintet for flute, harp, and string trio
Dubois: Quintet for oboe, string trio, and piano
Dvořák: String Quintet no. 3 American
Mendelssohn: String Quintet no. 2
Mozart: Clarinet Quintet
Schubert: String Quintet
Vaughan Williams: Phantasy Quintet

[Wanderer]

Schubert: Piano Quintet D. 667, "Trout"
Brahms: Piano Quintet
Schumann: Piano Quintet
Dvořák: String Quintet Op. 77
Dvořák: Piano Quintet No. 2, Op. 81
Medtner: Piano Quintet
Boccherini: String Quintet G.324 (Op. 30 No. 6), "La musica notturna delle strade di Madrid"
Vierne: Piano Quintet
Franck: Piano Quintet
Dohnányi: Piano Quintet No. 1
Mendelssohn: String Quintet No. 2, Op. 87

[Symphonic Addict]

Piano Quintets alone:
Bax
Bloch no. 1
Brahms
Dvořák no. 2
Elgar
Huré
Ornstein
Pejačević
Taneyev
Vaughan Williams

Other Quintets:
Bax: Harp Quintet
Brahms: String Quintet no. 2
Cras: Quintet for flute, harp, and string trio
Damase: Quintet for flute, harp, and string trio
Dubois: Quintet for oboe, string trio, and piano
Dvořák: String Quintet no. 3 American
Mendelssohn: String Quintet no. 2
Mozart: Clarinet Quintet
Schubert: String Quintet
Vaughan Williams: Phantasy Quintet

Solid lists as ever!


Hmmm let's see for me...

String quintets:

Brahms No. 2
Schubert in C
Dvorak No. 3
Glazunov in A
Taneyev No. 2
Gouvy in G
Bruckner in F
Mendelssohn No. 1
Goldmark in A minor
Vaughan Williams Phantasy Quintet


Piano + strings

Schmitt: Piano Quintet in B minor, Op. 51 (if you don't know it, don't walk, run!!)
Taneyev: Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 30
Schumann: Piano Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 44
Cras: Quintette pour piano et cordes
Elgar: Piano Quintet in A minor, Op. 83
Franck: Piano Quintet in F minor
Gouvy: Piano Quintet in A major, Op.
Ornstein: Piano Quintet
Bax: Piano Quintet in G minor
Vierne: Piano Quintet in C minor, op. 42


Other combinations

Brahms: Clarinet Quintet
Dubois: Quintet for oboe, string trio, and piano
Weber: Clarinet Quintet
Jongen: Concert à cing pour flûte, trio de cordes et harpe
Cras: Quintette pour flûte, trio de cordes et harpe
Herrmann: Souvenirs de Voyage
Bliss: Oboe Quintet
Bax: Harp Quintet
Reger: Clarinet Quintet
Rota: Quintet for flute, oboe, viola, cello and harp