Heinrich von Herzogenberg; Johannes Brahms - String Quartets (Minguet Quartett)

Information

Composer: Heinrich von Herzogenberg; Johannes Brahms

CD1:

• (01) Herzogenberg - String Quartet in G minor, Op. 42 No. 1
• (05) Herzogenberg - String Quartet in D minor, Op. 42 No. 2

CD2:

• (01) Herzogenberg - String Quartet in G major, Op. 42 No. 3
• (05) Brahms - String Quartet in C minor, Op. 51 No. 1

Minguet Quartett
Ulrich Isfort, violin
Annette Reisinger, violin
Aroa Sorin, viola
Matthias Diener, cello

Date: 2016
Label: cpo

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Review

The reputation of Heinrich von Herzogenberg has undergone a thorough re-evaluation in the last ten years or so. This is mainly due to the work and dedication of the CPO record label; try a search of this site under the composer's name and CPO. I have many discs in their fine series and they should be applauded for their efforts. Carus, Hänssler and Toccata have, in addition, produced very good discs of his music, all of which have furthered his standing as a significant figure in the Austrian romantic movement. Gone are the days when Herzogenberg was thought of solely as the man who advised Vaughan Williams to study with Bruch.

This present disc offers the listener the middle three of Herzogenberg’s five string quartets. The others, have already appeared, the op. 18 being coupled with the String Quintet op. 77 (777 083-2). His final quartet, the op. 63, was coupled with the Piano Quintet op. 17. Both were performed by the same artists who perform here, the Minguet Quartett; an excellent job they do too.

The three quartets op. 42 date from 1884 and are dedicated to Herzogenberg's friend Brahms, a composer that he greatly admired and allowed his own music to be influenced by. Indeed, he is regarded as the first composer to have produced a work based upon one of Brahms’ own compositions, his Variations on a theme by Brahms op.23. It is only fitting therefore, that these three quartets are coupled with the String Quartet op. 51, No. 1 in C Major by his musical hero.

Of the three quartets it is the first that overall presents the most inspired music and it is this that has led me to listen to the first disc more than the second. Its four movement structure is quite traditional and bears stylistic influences flowing from Brahms. It also shows a great deal of originality with its opening Allegro energico and the following Andantino marking out this quartet as a work of stature. There are instances of this in the following two quartets also, with the second having a very fine final Allegro con brio. The second movement Andantino of the third, with the development of its different themes, is very attractive and shows a composer who really understood the string quartet.

The Brahms op. 51 no. 1 makes a good coupling; this despite lacking the inspiration that the composer showed in his op. 67. The Minguet gives a very credible performance and I would like to see CPO giving them the chance to record the rest of the Brahms.

I have been an admirer of the Minguet Quartett for some years now and have quite a few of their discs. I always find their recordings expressive, well measured and with excellent ensemble work. This new one is no different. Here they prove themselves once again to be wonderful advocates of Herzogenberg's music.

The recorded sound is excellent. That said, the Brahms is not quite as clear and bright as the Herzogenberg, but not enough to hamper my enjoyment. The booklet essay by Eckhardt van der Hoogen are exemplary. They are thoughtfully translated and greatly add to our understanding of this fine composer.

-- Stuart Sillitoe, MusicWeb International

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Heinrich von Herzogenberg (10 June 1843 – 9 October 1900) was an Austrian composer and conductor. He was attracted to the music of Richard Wagner early on, but after studying J. S. Bach's works, became an adherent of the classical tradition and an advocate for the music of Brahms. In 1874, Herzogenberg founded the Leipzig Bach-Verein and became its artistic director for 10 years. From 1885, he was Professor of Composition at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin. While considered by many as a mere epigone of Brahms, many of Herzogenberg's compositions show little or no overt Brahmsian influence.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_von_Herzogenberg

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Johannes Brahms (7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer and pianist. In his lifetime, Brahms's popularity and influence were considerable. Brahms composed for symphony orchestra, chamber ensembles, piano, organ, and voice and chorus. Many of his works have become staples of the modern concert repertoire. An uncompromising perfectionist, Brahms destroyed some of his works and left others unpublished. Brahms is often considered both a traditionalist and an innovator. His music is firmly rooted in the structures and compositional techniques of the Classical masters, with a highly romantic nature embedded within.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms

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Minguet Quartet was founded in 1988. The group takes its name from Pablo Minguet, an eighteenth-century Spanish philosopher who attempted in his writings to make the fine arts accessible to the masses, and this idea is a chief artistic concern of the Minguet Quartet. The ensemble concentrates on the Classical-Romantic literature and modern music in equal measure, and has proven its commitment to compositions of the 21st century through numerous premieres. The quartet's current members include: Ulrich Isfort, Annette Reisinger (violins), Aroa Sorin (viola), and Matthias Diener (cello).
http://www.minguet.de/

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