Frankfurter Streichsextet - Hans Kössler: String Quintet, String Sextet (2007)

A cousin of Max Reger and a theory teacher of Zoltán Kodály and Béla Bartók, Hans Koessler never became famous in his own right as a composer; even today, too few of his works have come to light to judge his full worth. However, this 2007 recording from CPO at least reveals that he was reasonably skilled in writing chamber music, and provides attractive examples of his post-Romantic style in the String Quintet in D minor (1913) and the String Sextet in F minor (1902). These works are warmly melodic and richly textured, well-suited for their respective ensembles; the structures of these pieces show their composer's affinity for the Classical sonata form, inviting comparisons with the music of Brahms. Yet the sweet sentimentality and vague moodiness of these works mark them as typical products of the fin de siècle; though the music is almost always pretty and polished, it comes across as shallow in feeling, weak in development, and unoriginal in thought. The Frankfurt String Sextet specializes in playing obscure chamber music, and its enthusiastic performances of Koessler's music are plainly meant to promote his cause. Yet, while the group's capable playing makes a fair case for these two pieces, this CD is not exciting enough to make listeners seek out more of Koessler's bland music. CPO's reproduction is clear and close-up, and the strings have great presence in the resonant studio space.