G is for Gemütlichkeit

Franz Joseph Haydn   String Trio in G major, Op. 53, No. 1

Franz Schubert   String Quartet in G major, D. 887

Johannes Brahms   String Sextet in G major, Op. 36, “Agathe”

Featured Musicians

Alexi Kenney & Yura Lee, violins | Dimitri Murrath & Marcus Thompson, violas | Gabriel Cabezas & Raman Ramakrishnan, cello

Of the eighteen known Haydn string trios, Op. 53 is his only set of trios scored for the classical string trio of of violin, viola, and cello; he was the first composer to explore this instrumentation. Overflowing with Schubert’s signature melodic flair and a new affinity for harmonic experimentation, the G major quartet is the composer’s unbridled foray back into the world of the string quartet after a bleak two-year hiatus. Written in a ten-day eruption of productivity, the quartet’s dynamic extremes and vigorous use of each ensemble member drive forward its constant momentum and complexity. A triumphant gesture of self-liberation, Brahms’s G major sextet was a belated farewell to the composer’s ex-financée Agathe. Through the piece’s intricate counterpoint and elegantly-restrained nature Brahms exhibits a controlled balance of maturity and reflection.