Johannes Brahms's soul shines through in his chamber music. Following in the footsteps of Mozart and Schubert, Brahms wrote two string quintets that rank among his greatest chamber music masterpieces. He took up this genre rather late in life, but it allowed him to express both the joy and the nostalgia he carried into his maturity. The Quintet in F major, Op. 88, held a special place in the composer's heart, and he considered it his finest work. A bucolic spirit and a gentle joie de vivre pervade the work, sometimes referred to as the 'spring quintet.' A majestic, pastoral first movement testifies to this cheerfulness, followed by a melancholy movement and a spirited finale. The Quintet in G major, Op. 111, also radiates vigor, expressing the composer's strength, nostalgia, and exuberance. With echoes of Viennese folk music, the piece has been referred to as the 'Prater quintet,' a reference to the famous Viennese park.
These two profound and melancholic works are performed by the Gringolts Quartet, whose previous recordings for BIS, particularly those devoted to Arnold Schoenberg's quartets, have won high praise. They are joined by the sought-after Finnish violist Lilli Maijala.
