Mozart Piano Quartet - Brahms, Shumann: Piano Quartets (2011)

Written in the banner year of 1842, in which Schumann seemed to have a nearly inexhaustible supply of chamber music inspiration, the lively and musically satisfying Op. 47 Piano Quartet is nonetheless frequently eclipsed by the more popular virtuosically showy piano quintet. More than a decade later, Johannes Brahms was hard at work at his Op. 25 G minor Piano Quartet, a passionately original work that was to become one of his most beloved chamber works. Both quartets were given their premiere with Clara Schumann at the piano; on this MDG Live disc, both are performed by the Mozart Piano Quartet, one of only a handful of extant piano quartets. The MPQ quickly demonstrates why they've been so successful for so long. Stylistic differences between the two quartets are brought to the fore. The Schumann is clean and meticulous, at times sounding as intimate as his many piano miniatures. The Brahms is weighty, rich, dense, and intense. Intonation is nice throughout, especially for a live performance. MDG's sound is warm, well-balanced, and bursting with detail making this disc an easily recommendable choice for an addition to any library.