The one unsung string quintet that everyone should hear.

[Dave]

Glazunov's String Quintet in A Major, Op. 39 (1891) - A quintessential Slavic work (yet verging on the cosmopolitanism that would be Glazunov's musical identity to the end).

[LateRomantic75]

The Glazunov is indeed superb, Dave. My nomination, however, would be Dvorak's Quintet in E flat, op. 97-perhaps not on the most "unsung" side of the spectrum, but a splendidly tuneful work worthy of comparison with the best of Dvorak IMO. ArkivMusic lists a mere seventeen recordings of it, which is nothing for Dvorak!

[Dave]

It has been a long while since I listened to Dvorak's Quintet (never bought a recording of it). Thanks for the mention. What recording(s) would you recommend?

[alberto]

Of the Dvorak op.97 I would recommend the recording by the Zukerman Chamber Players (Altara label, 2006).
I must admit I am influenced by the live performance by Zukerman and friends I attended to some years ago (along with quintets by Mozart and Beethoven).

[John H White]

by the way, the set of parts for the Lachner String Quintet are available from Merton Music via Our Text and you can hear my Noteworthy transcription of it via MIDI at the Noteworthy Scriptorium.

[Dave]

Of the Dvorak op.97 I would recommend the recording by the Zukerman Chamber Players (Altara label, 2006).
I must admit I am influenced by the live performance by Zukerman and friends I attended to some years ago (along with quintets by Mozart and Beethoven).

Thank you Alberto.

[Derek Hughes]

I vote for Max Bruch's 1918 String Quintet, op. posth., which I have in a CD recording by the Ensemble Ulf Hoelscher. The music has a combination of strenuousness and lyrical beauty that suggests Brahms, both in overall effect and quality. The melodies are, however, very individual and sharply defined, and there is a compelling drive and structural unity, achieved out of very complex elements.

I'm grateful to this thread for introducing me to the Lachner and Draeseke quintets. The Lachner strikes me as a very superior piece of craftsmanship--no more, no less. I don't know quite what to make of the Draeseke (my first experience of this composer). It is very experimental for a contemporary of Brahms, but the individual musical ideas don't grab me at all and, after two hearings, I'm still finding the whole thing rather shapeless. Still, I must explore further.

The Bruch seems to me to win hands down, and I urge others to try it.

[Alan Howe]

I don't know quite what to make of the Draeseke (my first experience of this composer). It is very experimental for a contemporary of Brahms, but the individual musical ideas don't grab me at all and, after two hearings, I'm still finding the whole thing rather shapeless. Still, I must explore further.

That's a common experience with regard to Draeseke's music. Perhaps it would be worth trying some of his other stuff - of the quintets, the one in A, WoO 25, is much the easier listen. Keep on exploring, Derek. The symphonies, for example, can all be found on YouTube...

[eschiss1]

Re Draeseke, btw, I'd also suggest his very fine 2nd viola alta sonata, downloadable in a complete radio performance from draeseke.org.

[ahinton]

I vote for Max Bruch's 1918 String Quintet, op. posth., which I have in a CD recording by the Ensemble Ulf Hoelscher. The music has a combination of strenuousness and lyrical beauty that suggests Brahms, both in overall effect and quality. The melodies are, however, very individual and sharply defined, and there is a compelling drive and structural unity, achieved out of very complex elements.

I'm grateful to this thread for introducing me to the Lachner and Draeseke quintets. The Lachner strikes me as a very superior piece of craftsmanship--no more, no less. I don't know quite what to make of the Draeseke (my first experience of this composer). It is very experimental for a contemporary of Brahms, but the individual musical ideas don't grab me at all and, after two hearings, I'm still finding the whole thing rather shapeless. Still, I must explore further.

The Bruch seems to me to win hands down, and I urge others to try it.

Well, some people have indeed "tried it" - the medium itself, that is, as distinct from the Bruch work per se - and it has indeed been known that, like Dvořák (in his Op. 97), the choice of double bass as the instrument to add to the customary string quartet ensemble rather than the far more customary second viola (Mozart and others) or second cello (most other string quintet composers) has been made and, in certain cases, the work concerned arguably be classifiable as "Romantic" - but, since there may be some risk that some such composers have written such works post-1918, it might nevertheless be better to draw a veil thereover here unless anyone can think of any other such works that were composed before that date...

[eschiss1]

BTW which Bruch string quintet? Is the Ensemble Ulf Hoelscher the group (there's only been one, commercially anyway- there's also a YouTube of another performance) that's recorded Bruch's 2nd string quintet (in E-flat)?

Re double bass quintets post-1918 - not a risk, a certainty. Vagn Holmboe's string quintet with bass, for just one. (Haven't heard it, but I'm guessing I'd like it very much, as I do virtually all of his music.)

The Draeseke doesn't use double bass, of course, but violotta (alternately, cello) (plus string quartet) in his WoO 25 quintet of 1897. (A recommendation I second happily and strongly , even though forced to name only one I named the other ... )

[John H White]

Mention of the use of a double base in a string quintet reminds me of the story of when the 2nd cellist failed to turn up for a performance of one of Onslow's string quintets. Dragonetti, the celebrated bassist happened to be in the audience and volunteered to go and fetch his huge instrument. Onslow was so pleased with the result, that thereafter he scored all his succeeding string quintets for either 2 cellos or a cello and a double bass.

[Derek Hughes]

BTW which Bruch string quintet?

The string quintet which I have is in A minor, and is for two violins, two violas, and cello. The other works on the CD are a quintet for piano and string quartet in G minor (1886) and a string octet in B major (1920).

It's good to see that he went on producing good music to the end, despite personal deprivation and tragedy.

[eschiss1]

I think the octet's in B-flat major, but I might be wrong. According to a mention in The Guardian, the 2nd string quintet is, like the first also from 1918-1920, but did not receive a performance or publication (from Henle Edition) until 2008, and has, I think, been recorded only once (commercially), by the Henschel Quartett (+Kazuki Sawa), on NEOS (didn't remember earlier, now I check...) in 2009.  (The YouTube video is of a more recent performance by a different ensemble.)

[Derek Hughes]

I think the octet's in B-flat major

You're right: B-dur. Sorry.