Favorite Piano Quintet

[presto agitato]

Franck´s by far.

Dramatic, mysterious, cyclical, passional...What a masterpiece.

[jre58591]

kapustin's piano quintet - very unique and great piece.

[xhunterjx]

brahms quintet in f minor is amazing.

[soliloquy]

In no particular order:

Franck
Ginastera
Shostakovich
Wuorinen

[apion]

The Franck is super-amazing, but Brahms rules here.  He simply rulz.

[ahinton]

Franck´s by far.

Dramatic, mysterious, cyclical, passional...What a masterpiece.

So if that appeals for these reasons, what about a quintet not by, but dedicated to, Fauré - the one by Florent Schmitt? One of the greatest piano quintets in the literature, to my mind.

Best,

Alistair

[pianiststrongbad]

The Schumann is my favourite piece of chamber literature.

[jre58591]

the schumann is a definite runner up.

im surprised none of the sorabjians have mentioned one of sorabji's quintets yet. ive herd the 1st one, and it was rather interesting. i also hear that the 2nd is a monster.

[arensky]

Franck and Brahms, with a slight preference for the Franck in my case.

[kaiwin]

Never heard of Frank's piano quintet... I wanna listen to it! Is it possible for anyone to upload it? Thanks!

[ahinton]

the schumann is a definite runner up.

im surprised none of the sorabjians have mentioned one of sorabji's quintets yet. ive herd the 1st one, and it was rather interesting. i also hear that the 2nd is a monster.

Sorabji's First Piano Quintet is indeed interesting in the history of music written for that medium, although not one of his very best works. Where did you hear it? It's been performed in NYC (the 1998 world première) and more recently in Europe. The Second Piano Quintet is indeed a "monster" at least in dimensional terms - some three hours' worth, I would imagine, as distinct from the whisker under half an hour of the first; there is now a new typescript edition of the Second by Alexander Abercrombie.

Perhaps some might have expected me to come up with one of these two works earlier in this thread, although you may note that I cited the Schmitt (a work much admired by Sorabji, incidentally, after he heard its UK première about 90 years ago in London).

Best,

Alistair

[jre58591]

Sorabji's First Piano Quintet is indeed interesting in the history of music written for that medium, although not one of his very best works. Where did you hear it? It's been performed in NYC (the 1998 world première) and more recently in Europe. The Second Piano Quintet is indeed a "monster" at least in dimensional terms - some three hours' worth, I would imagine, as distinct from the whisker under half an hour of the first; there is now a new typescript edition of the Second by Alexander Abercrombie.

i think it was john carey that gave me a recording of it (thanks john). the pianist in it was chris berg.

[ahinton]

i think it was john carey that gave me a recording of it (thanks john). the pianist in it was chris berg.

This would have been the live performance on 6 December 1998; which ended the first half of an all-Sorabji programme at New York's Merkin Hall which was also organised by Chris Berg; on this occasion, Mr Berg also played the Interlude from Prelude Interlude and Fugue to open the programme and the piano parts in Trois Fêtes Galantes for the soprano Felicity la Fortune.

Best,

Alistair

[panic]

Shame that Stanford #1 isn't more well known/often played, as I think it ranks up there with the greats.

[presto agitato]

Shame that Stanford #1 isn't more well known/often played, as I think it ranks up there with the greats.

Do you have the recording?

[presto agitato]

More Opinions?

[Waldszenen]

Schumann then Schubert then Brahms.

[phil13]

Brahms 

I actually fell in love with this work when I first heard it as a 2-piano sonata, then realized it was even more beautiful in its original form.

Phil

[ian_j]

I've always been a fan of the Shostakovich Quintet, but my favourite is the Schumann. Must keep an ear out for the Franck though.

[mikey6]

What about the Mozart, Beethoven, Poulenc Wind Quintet's? or are we sticking with standard combinations?

[phil13]

What about the Mozart, Beethoven, Poulenc Wind Quintet's? or are we sticking with standard combinations?

If not, you can't forget Rimsky-Korsakov's either.

Phil

[Floristan]

I love both the Brahms and the Schumann, but there's something about "The Trout" that puts it in a class of its own.  I suppose in part it's the cheerfulness combined with the serious that I find so winning.

[kevinatcausa]

kaiwin,

You can listen to a streaming performance of the Franck quintet (and also multiple performances of Brahms', Schumann's, and Dvorak's) at https://www.cliburn.org/index.php?page=arcperformances

(edit: hmm...maybe I shoulda checked the date on the reply I was responding to before posting this.  Still, the cliburn site is a nice resource)