Search - Johannes Brahms, Andreas Staier :: Brahms: Piano Quintet, Op. 34

Bravo!

Doc Holliday | Great Northwest | 07/25/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Over recent years, Brahms has increasingly become a favorite staple of mine. I already own a copy of the Piano Quintet, Op. 34, featuring the Takacs Quartet and Andras Schiff, which I found to be an excellent performance with excellent clarity and an almost reflective treatment of the work. However, right from the opening notes Andreas Staier and the Leipzig Quartet collaboration literally grabbed my emotions. Their performance of the piano quintet seemed to employ an ever so slightly, faster tempo, imbued with a great passion and desire to seize the musical moment. Though, I am not a fan of only 39-minute CD recordings at retail prices, this is a rare an exception."

Can it get any better?

Jeff D. Wolf | Abilene, TX | 10/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Breathtaking, both as performance and recording. Probably the best recorded performance of chamber music I've ever heard. Worth every penny, despite the absence of a "filler," which would be a silly distraction, anyway.



The Leipzig Quartet is as good as it gets in 19th century German chamber music, and no other record company I've encountered can match MDG's engineering quality. Great performers in great sound playing great music. That's what it's supposed to be all about, right?"