# What Are Brahms Best Chamber Works?



## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Curious how members of TC would rank Brahms chamber music. Rank it all, if you'd like. It is pretty much all of high quality in my view, so it is kind of a difficult question...

For me at the moment the string quintets, the late works featuring clarinet, the horn trio and piano trios are all up near the top, the string quartets (while still good) perhaps closer to the bottom. Hard for me to make a definitive list at the moment though, I have to think about it and review some works. What do you think?


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

IMHO, the 3 best:

Violin Sonata no. 1
Clarinet Sonata no. 1
Clarinet Quintet


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## BenG (Aug 28, 2018)

Piano quintet in F minor I would rank at the top


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Another vote for the piano quintet here, followed closely by the cello sonatas.


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## David Phillips (Jun 26, 2017)

Piano Trio No.2 in C


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

The piano quintet is one of my less favourite Brahms chamber works (still pretty good though), coming in ahead only of the three string quartets. The clarinet quintet is my personal favourite. Next are Clarinet Sonata 1, String Quintet 1, Piano Quartet 1, Piano Quartet 3, String Sextet 2.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

I have been quite obsessed with Brahms's chamber music lately. Those works I rate near the top include: the Piano Quintet, the Clarinet Trio & Clarinet Quintet, all three Violin Sonatas, Piano Trio No.1, & the Horn Trio. I must admit the String Quintets have not quite clicked with me yet, but I suspect it may be due to a subpar recording (I have Juilliard + Trampler which seems to have gotten scathing reviews). I have yet to spend much time with the cello sonatas, piano quartets, and string sextets. I'm less enamored with the string quartets though they are still good. It's Brahms; it's all damn good.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

I don’t have anything to add to the above, but I really like the Horn Trio and the Clarinet works because the are so effective in exploiting the timbres of those two instruments


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Just a few to set your teeth in.


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## Simplicissimus (Feb 3, 2020)

I prefer Brahms’ writing for smaller sized chamber ensembles that include piano, especially these three works:

Sonata No. 1 in G Major for Violin and Piano, Op. 78 “Rain”
Trio in E-flat Major for Horn, Violin, and Piano, Op. 40
Trio in A Minor for Clarinet, Piano, and Cello, Op. 114

I am a fan of the viola, so I especially enjoy the horn and clarinet trios arranged for that instrument.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Brahms is among my top three composers, and I particularly enjoy his chamber music - and won't rank them, but the clarinet works the ones I revisit most often.


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## Highwayman (Jul 16, 2018)

My favourite Brahms chamber work is the one that I`m listening to.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Favorites for me include piano trio #1, the violin sonatas, clarinet sonata #1 and most of all the clarinet quintet. But I like all 24 published works.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

Partly because they haven't been mentioned: the Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 60 and the second string sextet.


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## Coach G (Apr 22, 2020)

The two sonatas for cello and piano (Rostropovich/Serkin)
The ballads and intermezzos (Glenn Gould)


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## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

Brahms’s chamber music is my absolute favorite body of work in all music after Bach’s cantatas. I don’t listen to it that often because it’s like gorging myself on a luxurious feast. My current ranking of all 24 works is thus:

1. Piano Quintet
2. Clarinet Quintet
3. Piano Trio No. 1
4. Piano Quartet No. 3
5. Piano Trio No. 2
6. Violin Sonata No. 2
7. Clarinet Sonata No. 2
8. String Sextet No. 1
9. Piano Quartet No. 2
10. Violin Sonata No. 1
11. String Quintet No. 2
12. String Sextet No. 2
13. Piano Trio No. 3
14. Cello Sonata No. 2
15. Clarinet Trio
16. String Quintet No. 1
17. Cello Sonata No. 1
18. Violin Sonata No. 3
19. Piano Quartet No. 1
20. Clarinet Sonata No. 1
21. Horn Trio
22. String Quartet No. 2
23. String Quartet No. 1
24. String Quartet No. 3


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Allegro Con Brio said:


> Brahms's chamber music is my absolute favorite body of work in all music after Bach's cantatas. I don't listen to it that often because it's like gorging myself on a luxurious feast. My current ranking of all 24 works is thus:
> 
> 1. Piano Quintet
> 2. Clarinet Quintet
> ...


My ranking would be pretty similar. But I have a much higher opinion of the first piano quartet, op. 25, probably because I first heard it via Schoenberg's orchestration, which is a terrific piece in its own right.


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## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

wkasimer said:


> My ranking would be pretty similar.  But I have a much higher opinion of the first piano quartet, op. 25, probably because I first heard it via Schoenberg's orchestration, which is a terrific piece in its own right.


If the 1st piano quartet was Brahms's only chamber work, it would still be one of my all time favorite chamber works. We're just spoiled for choice! For some reason I love the second half of that work but find the first half uncharacteristically unengaging.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

Clarinet Quintet
Piano Quintet
Piano Quartet 3
String Sextets
String Quintets


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## Caryatid (Mar 28, 2020)

My favourites are Violin Sonata No. 3, String Quintet No. 2 and the Horn Trio.


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## Beebert (Jan 3, 2019)

He wrote many masterpieces. My favorites are probably the Clarinet Quintet and the Horn Trio... I think. And all the others.


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## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

My personal favorites: clarinet quintet, clarinet sonata, cello sonata in F, all the trios and violin sonatas (truly unable to narrow those down, I tried). But as others have said, they're all great.


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## Room2201974 (Jan 23, 2018)

The Bruce Adolphe series on chamber music covers several of Brahms works. They are available on YouTube and and I have found them very informative and entertaining.

I have to echo *Allegro Con Brio* here in saying that as a whole the chamber works are among my favorites and I try to dole them out so I don't get burned out on them. I burned out on the Symphonies and the _Requiem_ years ago and it taught me a lesson: ear candy needs to be savored slowly! So I'm picking my way through the chamber works and finding that they are a comfort to me in my old age!


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## howlingfantods (Jul 27, 2015)

Piano quartets 2 and 3, string sextet 1, piano trio 1, and the piano quintet


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

***My most favorite of all Brahms chamber works (in no particular order):

Piano Trio No. 1 (in both the original and revised versions)
Piano Quartet No. 2
Clarinet Quintet
String Quintet No. 1
String Quintet No. 2
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My other favorite Brahms chamber works (in no particular order):

Cello Sonata No. 1
Clarinet Sonata No. 2
Horn Trio
String Sextet No. 1
String Sextet No. 2


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

It's hard to answer qualitatively and say "best." it's more likely people's favorites.

Mine are his Viola Quartet Op. 115 and the Piano Quartet Op. 25 that Schoenberg famously orchestrated. When paired together they give a window into the young and old Brahms of youthful vigor and autumnal resignation. I also enjoy the Clarinet Trio Op. 115 for the latter view of Brahms.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

FA* sonata - the Funniest thing he was involved in. Whoever came up with the idea for this must have been out of his mind, like literally.


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## pjang23 (Oct 8, 2009)

Tough to rank, as I couldn't be without any of these works besides the string quartets. I probably rate the Clarinet Trio and first Piano Quartet higher than most, and like chamber ensembles with piano more than without.

1. Piano Quintet
2. Clarinet Quintet
3. Piano Trio #1
4. Piano Quartet #3
5. Violin Sonata #2
6. Piano Quartet #1
7. Clarinet Trio
8. Cello Sonata #1
9. Violin Sonata #1
10. Horn Trio
11. Clarinet Sonata #2
12. Piano Trio #3
13. Piano Quartet #2
14. Clarinet Sonata #1
15. String Sextet #2
16. String Quintet #2
17. String Sextet #1
18. Violin Sonata #3
19. Piano Trio #2
20. String Quintet #1
21. Cello Sonata #2
22. String Quartet #2
23. String Quartet #3
24. String Quartet #1


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

flamencosketches said:


> I must admit the String Quintets have not quite clicked with me yet,


Try the Raphael Ensemble on helios, great performances.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

I think the varied responses on this thread are a testament to the high quality of the chamber works of Brahms. I've listened to many of these works over the past couple of days, the horn trio, clarinet quintet and all three violin sonatas seem to be what I'm gravitating towards the most at the moment. 

I'm still not ready to do an extensive list like Allegro con brio or pjang23 yet.


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## MatthewWeflen (Jan 24, 2019)

As many have said, there are a wealth of options, but for my money, String Sextet 1 (op. 18) is the best of the bunch. It contains this killer movement, as featured on Star Trek TNG.


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## Terrapin (Apr 15, 2011)

Tiers:
1. Piano Quintet, Sextet 1
2. Piano Quartet 1, String Quintet 1, Piano Trio 1, Violin Sonatas 1-3, Cello Sonata 2
3. Piano Quartets 2 & 3, String Quartets 1 & 3, String Quintet 2, Sextet 2, Cello Sonata 1
4. Clarinet Quintet, Piano Trio 2 & 3, Piano Trio in A, Horn Trio
5. Clarinet Sonatas 1 & 2


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## Caryatid (Mar 28, 2020)

Terrapin said:


> Tiers:
> 1. Piano Quintet, Sextet 1
> 2. Piano Quartet 1, String Quintet 1, Piano Trio 1, Violin Sonatas 1-3, Cello Sonata 2
> 3. Piano Quartets 2 & 3, String Quartets 1 & 3, String Quintet 2, Sextet 2, Cello Sonata 1
> ...


What about the second quartet?


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