Johannes Brahms
(1833-1897)
Sextet (1860)
Similar to Brahms’s views on composing a symphony (i.e. wait, wait, wait..), the composer also was very cautious when it came to composing string quartets. He knew that he was following in the footsteps of the 68 Haydn string quartets, the many string quartet masterpieces of Mozart, and of course the 16 incredible string quartets of Beethoven. It took many years for Brahms to feel he was ready to publish his first string quartet, which was completed in 1873. Prior to this, Brahms experimented with different groupings, including a string sextet that was composed in 1860, the Scherzo of which is heard here. This is an ebullient and joyous piece of music that is sure to brighten your day. A wonderful performance!