The chamber works of Brahms comprise some 24 compositions, a fraction of his total output which is mostly vocal and choral. This may surprise many who know Brahms mostly through his instrumental work. Yet, his catalogue is nearly three-quarters vocal. This may be because Brahms often destroyed works, manuscripts and sketches that he felt were unworthy. It is said that he destroyed nearly twenty quartets before he permitted the first to be published. Schumann himself described in his letters works for piano and chamber ensembles that are completely unknown to us today. There is no doubt that they did not meet with Brahms’ strict standards and were destroyed.

The g minor quartet, op. 25 is a milestone work for Brahms. It marked the debut of Brahms to the Viennese public as both performer and composer.

Sketches of the work begin around 1856 but Brahms himself dated it as beginning in 1861, the year in which it was premiered with Clara Schumann as pianist. Later in 1862, Joseph Hellmesberger, whose string quartet was the leading chamber ensemble in Vienna, declared after playing through the work “This is Beethoven’s heir!” and promptly scheduled performances for the next concert season. Later, Clara Schumann wrote to Brahms and in her diary, “The first part seems to me too little in the g minor and too much in D major, and the absence of g minor makes it lack clearness. The emotion of the Adagio is too forced, without really carrying me away. But I love the Allegretto in c minor and the last movement.” The work so impressed Arnold Schoenberg that he transcribed it for full orchestra. It is a stunning version of the work that should be in everyone’s CD library.

The first movement is an expansive sonata allegro. It’s use of the most simple, motivic elements is striking and follows Beethoven’s compositional method. This simple use of small ideas creates a richness and full wealth of material.

The second movement was originally to be the Scherzo, but upon the advice of Clara changed it’s function to an intermezzo. “I should not call it a scherzo, I can only think of it as an Allegretto, but it is just the piece for me,” wrote Clara. Slowing it down from a scherzo makes the movement much more introspective.

The third movement is in three parts, two songs interrupted by another intermezzo. T

he finale is one of Brahms most famous, Rondo alla Zingarese; Presto. Its infectious Hungarian rhythms and folk melodies make it one of the most dazzling finales ever written.