New Zealand String Quartet Photo: Bruce Harris
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) first dipped his toes into the string quartet genre in the 1850s with the two works that comprise Op 51. These quartets underwent many revisions until he cautiously allowed them to be performed in Berlin by the Joachim Quartet and then published.
This second quartet acknowledges Brahms’ friendship with the violinist Joseph Joachim and their respective mottos of F-A-E (frei aber einsam - free but lonely) and F-A-F (frei aber froh - free but happy). He weaves the notes of both into the musical texture.
Recorded 5 May 2019, St. Andrew's on The Terrace, Wellington by RNZ Concert
Sound engineer: Darryl Stack
