# 15 Greatest Chamber Works?



## ChamberNut

Well, here is a listing I found on ThinkQuest for the "15 Greatest Chamber Works", listed in chronological order:

1 - Wolfgang Mozart String Quartet in C, K465 "Dissonant" 
2 - Joseph Haydn String Quartet in C, Op.76 no.3 "Kaiser" 
3 - Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet in F, Op.59 no.1 
4 - Franz Schubert Piano Quintet in A, D667 "Trout" 
5 - Franz Schubert String Quartet in a, D804 "Rosamunde" 
6 - Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet in B flat, Op.130 
7 - Felix Mendelssohn Piano Trio in d, Op.49 
8 - Robert Schumann Piano Quintet in E flat, Op.44 
9 - Johannes Brahms Piano Quintet in f, Op.34 
10 - Johannes Brahms String Quartet in c, Op.51 no.1 
11 - Antonin Dvorák Piano Quintet in A, Op.81 
12 - Antonin Dvorák String Quartet in F, Op.96 "American" 
13 - Maurice Ravel String Quartet in F 
14 - Béla Bartók String Quartet #2 
15 - Dmitri Shostakovich String Quartet in c, Op.110

ThinkQuest 15 Greatest Chamber Works


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## opus67

Certainly unacceptable.







I accept that I have not listened to them all, but some must-haves are missing.


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## oisfetz

I've my own list:
LvB SQ No.13
Brahms clarinet quintet
Brahms piano quintet
LvB Kreutzer
Tchaikovsky piano trio
Haydn SQ op.76 No.3
Rachmaninoff cello sonata
Rachmaninoff second piano trio
Medtner "epic" violin sonta
Bach's solo cello suites
Bach's solo violin sonatas
Lekeu's violin sonata
Faure's SQ
Faure's first violin sonata
Saint-Saëns first violin sonata
Dvorak's SQ op.105
Dvorak's string sextet
Tchaikovsky's sgtring sextet
Mendelssohn string octet
Could go on for hours.


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## ChamberNut

I was, myself, definitely more than a little shocked when I viewed this list. Not for what is on there, but more so because I totally expected a handful of chamber works to be listed which were not. Some examples of what I would have considered "shoe ins" to be on this list were:

Schubert - Death and The Maiden String Quartet # 14

Schubert - String Quintet in C major, D. 956

Beethoven - String Quartet # 14, Op. 131

Mendelssohn - Octet for Strings


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## Rachmaninov

My choices:
JS Bach 6 cello sonatas
JS Bach Passacaglia and Fugue
JS Bach partita and sonata for solo violin
WA Mozart Adagio and Fugue C minor
Astor Piazzolla Fuga y misterio
Schubert Trout
WA Mozart violin sonatas
Beethoven cello sonatas
Vittorio Monti Czardas
Handel Concerti Grossi
Vivaldi L'estro armonico
Kreisler Libeslied
Kreisler Libesfreud


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## Edward Elgar

This is impossible for me to decide! The list is truly endless because all composers' big works can be transcibed for a chamber ensamble. Not so long ago I heard Mozarts 40th played by a piano quartet!


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## TSHare

My favorites (not necessarily a Canon of Greats)...

Mozart, Clarinet Quintet
Beethoven, String Quartet Opus 131
Beethoven, String Quartet Opus 132
Beethoven, Archduke Trio
Schubert, Trout Quintet
Schubert, String Quintet
Mendelssohn, Octet
Mendelssohn, String Quartet in A Minor, Opus 13
Mendelssohn, Piano Trio #1
Brahms, Piano Quintet
Brahms, Horn Trio
Brahms, Piano Trio #1
Brahms, Clarinet Quintet
Shostakovich, String Quartet #8
Shostakovich, Piano Trio #2


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## Wicked_one

I know I'd squeeze in my list Mahler's Piano Quartet in A minor


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## Quartetfore

Where is the DebussyQuartet, Ravel Quartet, and even the Piano Trio??


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## TSHare

The OP list did include the Ravel Quartet but I prefer the Debussy.


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## Sid James

Not much there post 1940. I'd add:

Messiaen - Quartet for the End of Time (recently saw it live, a masterpiece by any definition)
Carter - any of his string quartets, but especially the 1st
Tippett - same as for Carter, though the 3rd is the most "epic"
Lutoslawski - String Quartet
Ligeti - 6 Bagatelles for wind quintet (just saw it live this week, a great piece)
& Berg (pre WW2) - the two string quartets, but especially the Lyric Suite, a ground-breaking work...


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## JAKE WYB

Too based upon popularity I reckon - ie Dvoraks american is not his greatest chamber work

As I know little of pre 1800 chamber music yet, my greatest of only the 19th/20th centuries are- in rough chronologiocal order -

Schubert - Piano trio in Eflat m
Schubert - 14th String Quartet
Schumann - Piano Quintet
Brahms - Piano Quintet
Brahms - Piano Quartet in C Minor
Dvorak - 13th String Quartet
Janacek - 1st String Quartet
Janacek - 2nd String Quartet
Bartok - 4th String Quartet
Bartok - 2nd String Quartet
*Martinu - Piano Quintet 2* - please please seek this out if youve not heard it yet
Ravel - Piano trio
Ravel - String Quartet
Debussy - String Quartet
Bax - Trio Elegiac


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## Sebastien Melmoth

Bruckner's String Quintet.


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## ScipioAfricanus

Sebastien Melmoth said:


> Bruckner's String Quintet.


EXACTLY. I wonder how they missed that.
my top 15 list
Bruckner String Quintet
Schubert String Quintet
Brahms Piano Trio no 2
Brahms String Quartet no 2
Mendelssohn Piano Trio no 1
Chopin Cello Sonata
Beethoven F major String quartet Ruzomovsky
Beethoven E flat Major Piano Trio, Op 71
Arnold Krug String Sextet
Draeseke String Quartet no 3
Draeseke Stelzner String Quintet
Dvorak Piano Quintet
Schumann Piano Quintet
Dvorak String Quartet G major
Brahms String Sextet no 1


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## World Violist

I agree with the Ligeti woodwind bagatelles; they're just brilliant. My list would probably include some of these:

Ravel: String Quartet
Ligeti: Bagatelles
Webern: Bagatelles
Schubert: String Quintet
Sibelius: String Quartet in D minor, "Voces Intimae"
Rubbra: String Quartet No. 3
Dvorak: String Quintet in E-flat

and probably would include some other Sibelius, maybe some Brahms, maybe some Shostakovich... and some Britten and Bartok, but I still don't know any of the chamber music of the latter two much to my shame.


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## TSHare

Dear Scipio,
Nice list. Some unconventional choices (Brahms 51/2--a fave of mine as well but criminally underrated--and LvB's 70/2 instead of 70/1) & several works I don't know; I look forward to tracking them down, esp. the Bruckner quintet since it has been endorsed by M. Melmoth also. I have enjoyed my brief time here. Regards.


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## Art Rock

bad list.
"10 - Johannes Brahms String Quartet in c, Op.51 no.1 "
Good grief, I LOVE Brahms' chamber music, but this is a dud.

Amazingly absent:
Brahms - Clarinet quintet
Schubert - String quintet
IMO the two most beautiful chamber music pieces ever written.


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## Sebastien Melmoth

Art Rock said:


> _Brahms String Quartet in c, Op.51 no.1 is a dud._


As a fellow Brahmsian, I remain amazed at the lack of reception of his three string quartets--(which I personally cherish as an extra-special set within his oeuvre).

Admittedly the c-minor Quartet is rather sharp, and the a-minor Quartet's subtle charms are constructively hidden from surface view, but surely the Bb-major Quartet is as approachable as Mozart's 'Hadyn' Quartet 'The Hunt' in the same key of a century earlier.

Florent Schmitt's Piano Quintet should go on the list of 'great chamber works'.


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## Quartetfore

There always seems to be mixed feelings when it comes to the Brahms Quartets. Some love them. some hate them. On the old GForum, I can recall some heated postings concerning them. I like them enough to have two complete sets (Berg and Emerson Quartets), but would I take one of them to that desert island that people are always talking about is another question.


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## Bulldog

This is a hard one; 15 is such a low number. However, here it goes:

Mozart - Clarinet Quintet
Brahms - Clarinet Quintet
Brahms - Clarinet Sonatas 1 & 2
Brahms - Cello Sonatas 1 & 2
Beethoven - Cello Sonatas 1 & 2
Weber - Grand Duo Concertant
Schubert - String Quartet D 887
Schubert - String Quintet D 956
Debussy - String Quartet
Ravel - String Quartet
Shostakovich - Piano Trio no. 2
Dvorak - Piano Quintet, Op. 81

Just one note. I'm aware that the Weber isn't very popular and hardly qualifies as a masterpiece. But I like it too much to leave off the list.


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## Mandryka

JAKE WYB said:


> *Martinu - Piano Quintet 2* - please please seek this out if youve not heard it yet


Thank you for the advice. Jolly music, no doubt about it.


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## schuberkovich

The two op.51 Brahms quartets are fantastic. To me they are the most modern sounding things Brahms ever wrote. The first movement of the A minor and the second movement of the C minor are the stand-outs - the former has moments of fragile tenderness mixed with chaos, and the latter is obviously influenced by the cavatina from Beethoven's op.130.

Both quartets are incredibly dense and employ absolutely insane polyphony and cross-rhythms. They take a lot of getting used to but they are well worth it.


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## Cantabile

Hello and thanks for posting and augmenting the list. It is an exquisite treat to explore all these works!


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## hpowders

How can any of Beethoven's Late Period String Quartets be left off a list of greatest chamber works?


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## Guest

hpowders said:


> How can any of Beethoven's Late Period String Quartets be left off a list of greatest chamber works?


Because the lists are limited to 15.

I especially love the polls with 15 options where people say "Where is ____?!?!?!" without volunteering an option for substitution.


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## Bulldog

hpowders said:


> How can any of Beethoven's Late Period String Quartets be left off a list of greatest chamber works?


Would you really expect all of his "late" quartets to be on a list of 15?


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## KenOC

Bulldog said:


> Would you really expect all of his "late" quartets to be on a list of 15?


If I may answer...yes, of course. That's really an easy question!


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## hpowders

Bulldog said:


> Would you really expect all of his "late" quartets to be on a list of 15?


Sure. They are incomparably great. Simply expand the list to 20 or 25. :tiphat:


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## KenOC

hpowders said:


> Sure. They are incomparably great. Simply expand the list to 20 or 25.


No need for that. Simply dump some of the less worthy composers like, you know, Schubert, Brahms, Haydn, people like that.. :devil:


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## mtmailey

This should be changed because there are more than 15 great chamber music pieces that are great you know.


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## Guest

No one has refuted that. A "Top 10 Composers" thread does not imply that there are only 10 good composers. Most people can make rough choices, and the whole "Top 15 Works? HERE'S 700 WORKS I LIKE EQUALLY" style of posting is kinda silly.


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## Alypius

I realize that technically string quartets are chamber works as much as piano trio, string quintets, etc., but I tend to think of quartets as a world to themselves, a self-contained genre. If I had to mix string quartets with other chambers works, then my top 10 would all be string quartets, and Ravel and maybe Schubert would break into the top 15. That said, I love chamber works of all varieties. I've listed mine below separately.

*Favorite String Quartets*

1. Beethoven: String Quartet #15 in A minor, op. 132 (1825)
2. Beethoven: String Quartet #14 in C-sharp minor, op. 131 (1826)
3. Ravel: String Quartet in F major (1903)
4. Bartók: String Quartet #5, Sz 102 (1934)
5. Schubert: String Quartet #14 in D minor, D. 810 ("Death and the Maiden") (1824)

6. Debussy: String Quartet in G minor, op. 10 (1893)
7. Schubert: String Quartet #15 in G, D.887 (1826)
8. Haydn: String Quartet in C major, op. 20/2, Hob. III:32 (1772)
9. Mozart: String Quartet #19 in C major, K.465 ("Dissonance") 
10. Bartók: String Quartet #4, Sz 91 (1928)

11. Beethoven: String Quartet #10, op. 74 ("Harp") (1809)
12. Shostakovich: String Quartet #2 in A, op. 68 (1944)
13. Haydn: String Quartet in D major, op. 20/4, Hob. III:34 (1772)
14. Shostakovich: String Quartet #15 in E flat minor, op. 144 (1974)
15. Szymanowski: String Quartet #2, op. 56 (1927)

*Other Favorite Chamber Works:*

1. Ravel: Piano Trio in A minor (1914)
2. Schubert: String Quintet in C, D. 956 (1828)
3. Dvořák: Piano Quintet #2 in A major, op. 81 (1887)
4. Fauré: Piano Quintet #2 in C minor, op. 115 (1921)
5. Brahms: Piano Quintet in F minor, op. 34 (1864)

6. Ravel: Sonata for Violin and Piano in G (1927)
7. Dvořák: Piano Trio #4 in E minor ("Dumky") (1891) 
8. Fauré: Sonata for Cello and Piano #1 in D minor, op. 109 (1917)
9. Bartók: Sonata for Violin and Piano #2, BB.85 (1922)
10. Ropartz, Prélude, Marine, et Chanson pour flûte, violin, violoncelle et harpe (1928)

11. Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du temps (1940)
12. Debussy: Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp (1916)
13. Roussel: Sérénade pour flûte, violin, alto, violincelle et harpe, op. 30 (1925)
14. Beethoven: Piano Trio #7 in B flat, op. 97 ("Archduke") (1811)
15. Brahms: Piano Trio #1 in B major, op. 8 (1854 / 1889)


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## hpowders

Fine list, Alypius!!


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## RCWP

One Beethovan - who's light in the head and not strong on the listening?
RCWP


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## science

Lemme brainstorm a bit here ... 

Brahms Piano Quintet
Brahms Piano Trio #1 (final version of course)
Brahms Clarinet Quintet
Mozart Clarinet Quintet
Mozart "Dissonance" Quartet 
Mozart Piano & Wind Quintet
Schubert String Quintet
Schubert "Death & the Maiden" Quartet
Haydn "Emperor" Quartet
Mendelssohn Octet
Beethoven String Quartet #13 (with the fugue)
Beethoven String Quartet #16
Messiaen Quartet for the end of time
Schumann Piano Quintet 
Dvorak Piano Quintet
Schubert Trout Quintet
Brahms Piano Quartets

Ok, let me be a bit subjective ... 

Schoenberg String Trio
Janacek's string quartets
Fauré's piano quintets 
Kodály string quartet #2
Dohnányi string quartets #2 & 3
Boccherini guitar quintet #9

Ok, I'll be back for more brainstorming later...


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## schuberkovich

The title of most underrated piece of chamber music has to go to Brahms's A major Piano Quartet. It's a wonderful piece from start to finish.


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## SARDiver

I was surprised that Schubert's String Quintet in C wasn't on the OP's list. (I also can't believe no one has mentioned "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang" by the Ted Nugent String and Percussion Quartet.)


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## Selby

I love chamber music.

Like Alypius, I think of string ensembles as their own genre, much like I do solo works, duos, and any combination of piano and viol.

Not that I do not enjoy that music, I just grow weary of how dominated the classical world has been by pianos and viols. Whenever I come across chamber music with a unique instrumentation my curiosity is immediately peaked. Give me percussion. Give me winds. Oh God yes, give me a harp, or a guitar.

Here is a list of my favorite 30 chamber ensembles (3 or more players) with instrumentation that include more than piano and/or viol.

I would love to hear other recommendations that fit those criteria.

Top 30 Chamber Ensembles
(6.1.2014)

1.	Koechlin [1867-1950]: Paysages et marines, Op. 63b (piano, flute, clarinet, string quartet)
2.	Mozart [1756-1791]: Quintet for Piano and Winds in E-flat major, KV 452 (piano, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon)
3.	Hovhaness [1911-2000]: Upon Enchanted Ground, Op. 90-1 (flute, cello, giant tam-tam, harp)
4.	Mozart [1756-1791]: Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in A major, KV 581, "Stadler"
5.	Lang [1957]: Child (piano, flute, clarinet, viola, cello)

6.	Bax [1883-1953]: Elegiac Trio (flute, viola, and harp)
7.	Koechlin [1867-1950]: Quintet No. 2, Op. 223, "Primavera II" (flute, harp, violin, viola, cello)
8.	Bax [1883-1953]: In memoriam (english horn, harp, 2 violins, viola, cello)
9.	Ligeti [1923-2006]: 6 Bagatelles for Wind Quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn)
10.	Cras [1879-1932]: Quintet for Flute, Harp & Strings

11.	Ropartz [1864-1955]: Prelude, Marine and Chansons (flute, harp, violin, viola, cello)
12.	Messiaen [1908-1992]: Quatour pour la Fin du Temps (clarinet, violin, cello, piano)
13.	Koechlin [1867-1950]: Oboe d'amore Sonatine, Op. 194, Nos. 1 & 2 (flute, clarinet, harp, string sextet)
14.	Bax [1883-1953]: Threnody and Scherzo (bassoon, harp and string sextet)
15.	Bax [1883-1953]: Concerto for Flute, Oboe, Harp and String Quartet

16.	Koechlin [1867-1950]: Sonate a 7, Op. 221 (oboe, harpsichord [or harp], 2 violins, viola, flute, cello)
17.	Chávez [1899-1978]: Suite for Double Quartet (bassoon, clarinet, flute, oboe, 2 violins, viola, cello)
18.	Golijov [1960]: The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind (clarinet, string quartet)
19.	Bax [1883-1953]: Quintet for Harp and Strings
20.	Dowland [1563-1626]: Lachrimae, or Seaven Teares (lute, 5 viols)

21.	Cage [1912-1992]: First Construction (In Metal) (6 percussion)
22.	Hovhaness [1911-2000]: Khaldis, Op. 91 ( piano, four trumpets, percussion)
23.	Nørgård [1932]: Hedda Gabbler Suite (viola, harp, piano)
24.	Chávez [1899-1978]: Xochipilli, an imagined Aztec music (piccolo, flute, E-flat clarinet, trombone, six percussion players)
25.	Janáček [1854-1928]: Mládí (Youth) (flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, bass clarinet)

26.	Ligeti [1923-2006]: 10 Pieces for Wind Quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn)
27.	Koechlin [1867-1950]: Wind Septet, Op. 165 (flute, oboe, english horn, clarinet in A, alto saxophone, horn, bassoon)
28.	Stravinsky [1882-1972]: Octet for Winds (flute, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, tenor trombone, bass trombone)
29.	Cage [1912-1992]: Second & Third Constructions (4 percussion)
30.	Bax [1883-1953]: Oboe Quintet (oboe, string quartet)

31.	Debussy [1862-1918]: Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp, L. 137

EDIT: Forgot Debussy, so I threw him in on the end.

9 hours and 47 minutes to listen to this playlist 

regards,

Selby George


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## schuberkovich

Selby said:


> I love chamber music.
> 
> Like Alypius, I think of string ensembles as their own genre, much like I do solo works, duos, and any combination of piano and viol.
> 
> Not that I do not enjoy that music, I just grow weary of how dominated the classical world has been by pianos and viols. Whenever I come across chamber music with a unique instrumentation my curiosity is immediately peaked. Give me percussion. Give me winds. Oh God yes, give me a harp, or a guitar.
> 
> Here is a list of my favorite 30 chamber ensembles (3 or more players) with instrumentation that include more than piano and/or viol.
> 
> I would love to hear other recommendations that fit those criteria.
> 
> Top 30 Chamber Ensembles
> (6.1.2014)
> 
> 1.	Koechlin [1867-1950]: Paysages et marines, Op. 63b (piano, flute, clarinet, string quartet)
> 2.	Mozart [1756-1791]: Quintet for Piano and Winds in E-flat major, KV 452 (piano, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon)
> 3.	Hovhaness [1911-2000]: Upon Enchanted Ground, Op. 90-1 (flute, cello, giant tam-tam, harp)
> 4.	Mozart [1756-1791]: Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in A major, KV 581, "Stadler"
> 5.	Lang [1957]: Child (piano, flute, clarinet, viola, cello)
> 
> 6.	Bax [1883-1953]: Elegiac Trio (flute, viola, and harp)
> 7.	Koechlin [1867-1950]: Quintet No. 2, Op. 223, "Primavera II" (flute, harp, violin, viola, cello)
> 8.	Bax [1883-1953]: In memoriam (english horn, harp, 2 violins, viola, cello)
> 9.	Ligeti [1923-2006]: 6 Bagatelles for Wind Quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn)
> 10.	Cras [1879-1932]: Quintet for Flute, Harp & Strings
> 
> 11.	Ropartz [1864-1955]: Prelude, Marine and Chansons (flute, harp, violin, viola, cello)
> 12.	Messiaen [1908-1992]: Quatour pour la Fin du Temps (clarinet, violin, cello, piano)
> 13.	Koechlin [1867-1950]: Oboe d'amore Sonatine, Op. 194, Nos. 1 & 2 (flute, clarinet, harp, string sextet)
> 14.	Bax [1883-1953]: Threnody and Scherzo (bassoon, harp and string sextet)
> 15.	Bax [1883-1953]: Concerto for Flute, Oboe, Harp and String Quartet
> 
> 16.	Koechlin [1867-1950]: Sonate a 7, Op. 221 (oboe, harpsichord [or harp], 2 violins, viola, flute, cello)
> 17.	Chávez [1899-1978]: Suite for Double Quartet (bassoon, clarinet, flute, oboe, 2 violins, viola, cello)
> 18.	Golijov [1960]: The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind (clarinet, string quartet)
> 19.	Bax [1883-1953]: Quintet for Harp and Strings
> 20.	Dowland [1563-1626]: Lachrimae, or Seaven Teares (lute, 5 viols)
> 
> 21.	Cage [1912-1992]: First Construction (In Metal) (6 percussion)
> 22.	Hovhaness [1911-2000]: Khaldis, Op. 91 ( piano, four trumpets, percussion)
> 23.	Nørgård [1932]: Hedda Gabbler Suite (viola, harp, piano)
> 24.	Chávez [1899-1978]: Xochipilli, an imagined Aztec music (piccolo, flute, E-flat clarinet, trombone, six percussion players)
> 25.	Janáček [1854-1928]: Mládí (Youth) (flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, bass clarinet)
> 
> 26.	Ligeti [1923-2006]: 10 Pieces for Wind Quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn)
> 27.	Koechlin [1867-1950]: Wind Septet, Op. 165 (flute, oboe, english horn, clarinet in A, alto saxophone, horn, bassoon)
> 28.	Stravinsky [1882-1972]: Octet for Winds (flute, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, tenor trombone, bass trombone)
> 29.	Cage [1912-1992]: Second & Third Constructions (4 percussion)
> 30.	Bax [1883-1953]: Oboe Quintet (oboe, string quartet)
> 
> 31.	Debussy [1862-1918]: Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp, L. 137
> 
> EDIT: Forgot Debussy, so I threw him in on the end.
> 
> 9 hours and 47 minutes to listen to this playlist
> 
> regards,
> 
> Selby George


Ravel Introduction and Allegro for string quartet, harp, flute and clarinet!!


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## science

If the tc community as a whole has any merit, the top 15 recommended ones would be: 

1. Brahms: Clarinet Quintet in B minor, op. 115
2. Beethoven: String Quartet #14 in C-sharp minor, op. 131
3. Schubert: String Quintet in C, D. 956
4. Brahms: Piano Quintet in F minor, op. 34
5. Schubert: String Quartet #14 in D minor, D. 810 "Death and the Maiden"
6. Shostakovich: String Quartet #8 in C minor, op. 110
7. Haydn: String Quartets, op. 76 "Erdödy"
8. Mozart: String Quintet #4 in G minor, K. 516
9. Borodin: String Quartet #2 in D
10. Brahms: Piano Trio #1 in B, op. 8
11. Ravel: String Quartet in F
12. Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the End of Time)
13. Schumann: Piano Quintet in E-flat, op. 44
14. Schubert: Piano Quintet in A, D. 667 "The Trout"
15. Debussy: String Quartet in G minor, L 85


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## Selby

schuberkovich said:


> Ravel Introduction and Allegro for string quartet, harp, flute and clarinet!!


Absolutely! Thank you for the reminder.


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## Blancrocher

Selby said:


> I would love to hear other recommendations that fit those criteria.


Here are 15 favorites that I don't think have been mentioned. I hope that there are one or two pieces in there that are new and interesting to you.

1920 - Carl Nielsen: Wind Quintet





1922 - Hindemith: Kammermusik No. 1, for flute, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, harmonium, piano, string quintet and percussion





1920/23 - Schoenberg: Serenade, for Bass voice + clarinet, bass clarinet, mandolin, guitar, violin, viola, cello





1937 - Messiaen: Fête des belles eaux, for 6 Ondes Martenot 





1932-9 - Poulenc: Sextet for piano and wind quintet 









1945 - Vittorio Rieti: Partita for harpsichord, flute, oboe, 2 violins, viola and cello





1959 - Stravinsky: "Epitaphium" for flute, clarinet and harp.





1959 - Martinu: Nonet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon, Violin, Viola Cello & Bass





1971 - Hovhaness: Island of the Mysterious Bells (4 harps)





1971 - George Crumb: Vox balinae (Voice of the Whale), for electric flute, electric cello, and amplified piano 





1980 - Takemitsu: Rain spell, for flute, clarinet, piano, harp and vibraphone





1982 - Ligeti: Trio for Violin, Horn, and Piano





1984 - Boulez: Derive 1, for flute, clarinet, piano, vibes, violin and cello





1995 - Gavin Bryars: One last bar, then Joe can sing








A new work I just learned about yesterday; some comments from the composer: http://www.gavinbryars.com/Pages/one_last_bar.html

1997 - Carter - Luimen for trumpet, trombone, vibraphone, mandolin, guitar, and harp





Thanks for your list too, btw--I look forward to getting to know the unfamiliar works.


----------



## changeup

I have to say I have only listened to Mozart's...
I hope I got more opportunity to listen to these pieces in the list.


----------



## PeterF

I don't believe that any mention has been made of either of Mozart's 2 Piano Quartets. 

Limiting the list to 15 is extremely difficult. 
Nonetheless I will try to put one together, and expect one of the Mozart Piano Quartets will be on it.


----------



## Alypius

I posted this over on the "Music Books - A Quick Reference" thread. But let me repeat it here. Note: This will be released this coming November as a $20 paperback. It's a gem:

James M. Keller, _Chamber Music: A Listener's Guide_ (Oxford University Press, 2011). 520 pp., $40 list as a hardcover (but $30 on Amazon); forthcoming in paperback, $20. This focuses on individual composers and specifically individual works. It's arranged alphabetically, with 3-4 pages on each of the major masterpieces of chamber music. Menahem Pressler who played for decades in the acclaimed Beaux Arts Trio has reviewed it in glowing terms: "Even after a career spent immersed in chamber music, I gained new and fascinating insights from James Keller's essays. This is a book that enlightens professionals as well as general music-lovers." That's a pretty good indicator of its value.


----------



## Der Siebente Kontinent

Alypius said:


> I posted this over on the "Music Books - A Quick Reference" thread. But let me repeat it here. Note: This will be released this coming November as a $20 paperback. It's a gem:
> 
> James M. Keller, _Chamber Music: A Listener's Guide_ (Oxford University Press, 2011). 520 pp., $40 list as a hardcover (but $30 on Amazon); forthcoming in paperback, $20. This focuses on individual composers and specifically individual works. It's arranged alphabetically, with 3-4 pages on each of the major masterpieces of chamber music. Menahem Pressler who played for decades in the acclaimed Beaux Arts Trio has reviewed it in glowing terms: "Even after a career spent immersed in chamber music, I gained new and fascinating insights from James Keller's essays. This is a book that enlightens professionals as well as general music-lovers." That's a pretty good indicator of its value.


This one is going on the "to buy-list" if I can find any space on my bookshelf


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## mtmailey

I am not going to choose just 15 works because there are so many great chamber works.there are few great string sextets,few great string quintets & few good octets.


----------



## Vaneyes

15 of these.


----------



## ArtMusic

ChamberNut said:


> Well, here is a listing I found on ThinkQuest for the "15 Greatest Chamber Works", listed in chronological order:
> 
> 1 - Wolfgang Mozart String Quartet in C, K465 "Dissonant"
> 2 - Joseph Haydn String Quartet in C, Op.76 no.3 "Kaiser"
> 3 - Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet in F, Op.59 no.1
> 4 - Franz Schubert Piano Quintet in A, D667 "Trout"
> 5 - Franz Schubert String Quartet in a, D804 "Rosamunde"
> 6 - Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet in B flat, Op.130
> 7 - Felix Mendelssohn Piano Trio in d, Op.49
> 8 - Robert Schumann Piano Quintet in E flat, Op.44
> 9 - Johannes Brahms Piano Quintet in f, Op.34
> 10 - Johannes Brahms String Quartet in c, Op.51 no.1
> 11 - Antonin Dvorák Piano Quintet in A, Op.81
> 12 - Antonin Dvorák String Quartet in F, Op.96 "American"
> 13 - Maurice Ravel String Quartet in F
> 14 - Béla Bartók String Quartet #2
> 15 - Dmitri Shostakovich String Quartet in c, Op.110
> 
> ThinkQuest 15 Greatest Chamber Works


I would say Mozart's clarinet quintet. It certainly was the most influential and got many others to try to write clarient quintets there after.


----------



## MJongo

There's no way I could come up with a top 15 that I wouldn't change my mind on the next day, so here's my top 3, which has been pretty stable over the last few years. My favorite recording of each is in brackets.


Shostakovich - Piano Quintet [Vermeer Quartet, Berman (2000)]
Beethoven - Große Fuge [Kodály Quartet (1999)]
Schubert - String Quintet [Melos Quartett, Rostropovich (1978)]
Shostakovich's Piano Quintet may even be my favorite work of art ever.


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## hpowders

W.A. Mozart String Quintet in G minor


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## hpowders

Brahms:
Clarinet Quintet
Piano Quartet in A
Piano Quintet


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## SeptimalTritone

hpowders said:


> Brahms:
> Clarinet Quintet
> Piano Quartet in A
> Piano Quintet


Brahms is a gold mine of chamber music. I prefer the piano quartet in C minor and the piano trio in B minor over those piano+strings pieces though (but the fact that everybody seems to like different Brahms chamber works is a good thing!). The clarinet trio, string sextet in G, string quintet in G, and string quartet in A minor are also really good. 

I would suspect that his clarinet quintet is indeed most often in people's Brahms top 5 chamber (and same for me): it's universally beautiful and powerful.


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## hpowders

SeptimalTritone said:


> Brahms is a gold mine of chamber music. I prefer the piano quartet in C minor and the piano trio in B minor over those piano+strings pieces though (but the fact that everybody seems to like different Brahms chamber works is a good thing!). The clarinet trio, string sextet in G, string quintet in G, and string quartet in A minor are also really good.
> 
> I would suspect that his clarinet quintet is indeed most often in people's Brahms top 5 chamber (and same for me): it's universally beautiful and powerful.


Yeah. I like Brahms' clarinet quintet. My fave is performed by Harold Wright, the late, great former principal clarinet of the Boston Symphony with the Boston Symphony Chamber Players.

Mr. Wright also recorded one of the best performances of the two Brahms Clarinet Sonatas.

Well which is it going to be, Brahms or Varese? Varese or Brahms? :tiphat:


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## senza sordino

My favourite 15
Bartok String Quartet #4
Beethoven String Quartet difficult to choose, but if I must #15 in Am
Britten String Quartet #1
Chausson Concert for violin, piano and String Quartet
Debussy Violin Sonata
Debussy / Ravel String Quartet (they're interchangeable aren't they)
Dvorak String Quartet #12
Franck Violin Sonata in A
Grieg Pick any one of the violin sonatas
Mendelssohn String octet
Mozart Clarinet Quintet
Schubert Qunitet in C, Trout Quintet, Death and the Maiden
Shostakovich String Quartet #8, Piano Trio #2


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## Igneous01

Hard to decide, but my personal 15:

1. Schnittke String Quartet 2
2. Schnittke String Trio
3. Beethoven String Quartet 15 F Major op 135
4. Beethoven String Quartet 14 C# Minor op 131
5. Shostakovitch String Quartet 8
6. Schubert String Quartet 14 (Death and the Maiden)
7. Schubert String Quartet 15 G Major
8. Sylvestrov String Quartet 3
9. Shostakovitch String Quartet 15
10. Schnittke Piano Quintet
11. Brahms Piano Quartet C minor
12. Dvorak String Quartet 13 G Major
13. Mahler Piano Quartet (Including the completed second movement by Schnittke)
14. Placeholder
15. Placeholder

So I may be a little biased towards Schnittke  Shoot me


----------



## SeptimalTritone

Igneous01 said:


> Hard to decide, but my personal 15:
> 
> 1. Schnittke String Quartet 2
> ...
> 
> So I may be a little biased towards Schnittke  Shoot me


I haven't explored that much Schnittke, actually. I think I've only heard the viola concerto. Thanks for the recommendations: I'll check out those chamber pieces on youtube


----------



## Igneous01

SeptimalTritone said:


> I haven't explored that much Schnittke, actually. I think I've only heard the viola concerto. Thanks for the recommendations: I'll check out those chamber pieces on youtube


In my opinion, he has some exceptional chamber works (Cello sonata is another favourite of mine). A kind of expressionism that is hard to find in his concertos or symphonies. I almost find it hard to believe he had a 'bleak period' later in life, as his chamber output is very much bleak in every sense of the word.


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## nightscape

Have to mention Arensky's Piano Trio No. 1


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## teej

- Milhaud SQ #1 (Peterson Quartet) always ranks high on my list.
- just about all the Beethoven SQ's (# 13 my fav - especially as played by Amadeus SQ)
- Hindemith SQ #2

...there are so many to choose from but these 3 are top of my list at the moment (especially the Milhaud - I think it is absolutely sublime)


----------



## Gaspard de la Nuit

I'm glad to see Ravel's string quartet listed here (though I expected the massive privileging of Austro-German works)....might also consider his Piano Trio.


----------



## QuietGuy

Quartetfore said:


> Where is the Debussy Quartet, Ravel Quartet, and even the Piano Trio??


Also, where is the Ravel Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet & String Quartet?


----------



## Gaspard de la Nuit

QuietGuy said:


> Also, where is the Ravel Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet & String Quartet?


I think the introduction is a small string orchestra.....I didn't know whether that counted as "chamber music" given the relative size.


----------



## Art Rock

Gaspard de la Nuit said:


> I think the introduction is a small string orchestra.....I didn't know whether that counted as "chamber music" given the relative size.


Although Ravel sanctioned orchestrated versions, the original is for the mentioned 7 instruments. Including the Introduction.


----------



## MusicSybarite

Well, let's see.

More-mainstream list (one work per composer):

Tchaikovsky - Piano trio
Beethoven - Grosse Fuge
Schubert - String quartet 15
Brahms - Clarinet quintet
Dvorák - Piano quintet op. 81
Shostakovich - Piano quintet
Ravel - Piano trio
Schoenberg - Transfigured Night
Mendelssohn - String octet
Elgar - Piano quintet
Franck - Violin sonata
Bartók - String quartet 5
Nielsen - Wind quintet
Bruckner - String quintet
Janácek - String quartet 2


Less-mainstream list (one work per composer):

Lutoslawski - String quartet
Schnittke - Piano quintet
Taneyev - Piano trio
Vaughan Williams - String quintet
Glière - String octet
Raff - String sextet
Svendsen - String octet
Vierne - Piano quintet
Martinu - String sextet
Malipiero - String quartet 1
Herzogenberg - Piano quartet 2
Chausson - Concert for violin, piano and string quartet
Martin, Frank - Piano trio
Françaix - String trio
Bax - Quintet for harp and string quartet


----------



## AfterHours

How about a Top 30?

1.	String Quartet No. 15 in A Minor - Ludwig van Beethoven (1825) 
2.	String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp Minor - Ludwig van Beethoven (1826) 
3.	String Quintet in C Major - Franz Schubert (1828) 
4.	Piano Quintet in G Minor - Dmitri Shostakovich (1940) 
5.	Sonata in G minor for Piano and Cello, Op. 19 - Sergei Rachmaninoff (1901) 
6.	String Quartet No. 14 in D minor "Death and the Maiden" - Franz Schubert (1824) 
7.	String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat Major (Original Composition with Grosse Fugue) - Ludwig van Beethoven (1825)
8.	Quartet for the End of Time - Olivier Messiaen (1941) 
9.	Piano Trio No. 7 in B-flat Major "Archduke" - Ludwig van Beethoven (1811) 
10.	Piano Quintet in F minor - Johannes Brahms (1864) 
11.	Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta - Bela Bartok (1936) 
12.	Octet for Strings in E-flat major - Felix Mendelssohn (1825) 
13.	Piano Quintet in A Major "Trout" - Franz Schubert (1819) 
14.	Piano Quintet No. 2 in A major - Antonin Dvorak (1887) 
15.	Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major - Johannes Brahms (1886) 
16.	Violin Sonata No. 3 in D Minor - Johannes Brahms (1888) 
17.	Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major "Kreutzer" - Ludwig van Beethoven (1803) 
18.	Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano - Gyorgy Ligeti (1982) 
19.	Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor - Dmitri Shostakovich (1944) 
20.	String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor - Dmitri Shostakovich (1960) 
21.	String Quartet No. 4 - Bela Bartok (1928) 
22.	String Quartet No. 11 in F minor - Dmitri Shostakovich (1866) 
23.	Fratres (for Violin and Piano) - Arvo Part (1977) 
24.	Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Major, Op. 94a - Sergei Prokofiev (1942; re-arranged 1943) 
25.	Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major - Cesar Franck (1886) 
26.	String Quartet No. 12 in E flat major - Ludwig van Beethoven (1825) 
27.	Piano Trio No. 2 in C Major - Johannes Brahms (1882) 
28.	String Quartet No. 15 in G Major - Franz Schubert (1826) 
29.	Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in A major - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1789) 
30.	String Trio - Alfred Schnittke (1985)


----------



## Brahmsian Colors

Favorites, not greatest (no necessary order):

Brahms Cello Sonata 1
Brahms Piano Quartet 2
Brahms Clarinet Quintet
Brahms String Quintet 1
Ravel Piano Trio
Ravel String Quartet
Debussy String Quartet
Faure Piano Quartet
Haydn op.50 String Quartets ("Prussian")
Haydn Piano Trio 39 "Gypsy")
Mozart Clarinet Quintet
Mozart Quintet For Piano and Winds
Mozart String Quartet 20 ("Hoffmeister")
Borodin String Quartet 2
Vaughan Williams Phantasy Quintet


----------



## Josquin13

My top 30 (sorry, I find it impossible to do just 25, let alone 15, but 30 seems more manageable):

1--Handel Trio Sonata in G minor, Op.2, no. 5--performed by Ensemble Zefiro





(Handel's Op. 5 Trio Sonatas are excellent too.)

2--J.S. Bach Violin Sonata in B Minor, BWV 1014--no. 1





3--J.S.Bach's Violin Sonata in F minor, BWV 1018--no. 5





(The Musical Offering, Art of the Fugue, and Trio Sonatas are wonderful too.)

4--Arcangelo Corelli Violin Sonata Op. 5, No. 1, etc. (the whole Op. 5 set)





5--Eustache du Caurroy Fantasies "Une jeune filette", etc.





6--Mozart String Quintet in C KV 515





7--Mozart String Quartet in C KV 465 "Dissonance" (& the other 5 Mozart "Haydn Quartets" too)





8--Mozart String Quartet in D KV 575 (all of his last 4 SQs)





9--Mozart String Quintet in D major, K. 593





10--Mozart Piano Trio in E major, KV 542





11--Haydn Piano Trio--any of them: I agree with Rudolf Serkin, who considered Haydn's Piano Trios to be on the same level as Mozart's Piano Concertos:





12--Haydn String Quartet in B minor, Op. 33 no. 1 & the rest of the Op. 33 set.









13--Haydn String Quartet in C Major, Op. 74, No. 1 (any of Haydn's SQs in the Op. 70s--they're all masterpieces):





14--Beethoven String Quartet, No. 13 Op. 130





15--Beethoven String Quartet No. 15, Op. 132





16--Beethoven String Quartet No. 14, Op. 131





17--Beethoven String Quartet No. 7, Op. 59, No. 1 (-3--all three "Rasumovsky" SQs):





18--Beethoven Archduke Piano Trio, Op. 97:





19--Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 5, Op. 24 "Spring"--my favorite is Oistrakh's,





20--Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 10, Op 96--this one doesn't get enough attention compared to his "Kreutzer", IMO):





21--Schubert's final String Quartet No. 15 in G Major, D. 887--an old Penquin Guide from the 1970s called this Schubert's "most profound utterance". The Chilingirian Quartet recording is one of my favorites:





22--Schubert String Quintet, D. 956--the Vellinger Quartet recording with cellist Bernard Greenhouse is my favorite:





23--Schumann Piano Quartet, Op. 47--which has a beautiful slow movement:









(Schumann's Piano Quintet is another favorite): 





24--Brahms String Quintet No. 2, Op. 111:





(Brahms Violin Sonata No. 1-3 are great favorites of mine too, especially 1 & 2):





25--Claude Debussy--Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp--a seminal work.





26--Claude Debussy String Quartet









27--Maurice Ravel--String Quartet









(I also admire Ravel's Piano Trio, and his Introduction et allegro, as well):





28--Prokofiev Sonata for Flute (or Violin) and Piano in D Major, Op. 94

Bezaly & Brautigam:





Mintz & Bronfman:





29--Shostakovich String Quartet No. 4, Op. 83 (etc.):





30--Charles Koechlin Paysages et Marines (1950, chamber version):





(I also admire Koechlin's Violin, Cello, & Viola Sonatas, as well as his chamber works for wind instruments, such as the Trio for flute, clarinet & basson, where Koechlin can remind me a little of Haydn in his remarkable ability to write for, match & blend diverse instruments)

(No room left for Faure's 2 Piano Quartets, Ropartz's Prelude, Marines et Chansons, Roussel's Serenade, or Schubert Piano Trios, etc. etc.)


----------



## Brahmsian Colors

Correction to my post 67 above: The Faure Piano Quartet is No.1, opus 15.


----------



## Roger Knox

My favourite 15 - not necessarily the greatest:

1 - Wolfgang Mozart String Quartet in C, K465 "Dissonant" 
2 - Franz Josef Haydn "Gypsy Rondo" Piano Trio
3 - Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet in A Minor, Op.132
4 - Franz Schubert String Quartet in D Minor, "Death and the Maiden"
5 - Franz Schubert String Quintet 
7 - Felix Mendelssohn Octet for double string quartet
8 - Robert Schumann Piano Trio in D minor 
9 - Cesar Frank Piano Quintet
10 - Johannes Brahms Trio for Violin, Horn, and Piano 
11 - Antonin Dvorák Piano Trio ("Dumky")
12 - Gabriel Faure Piano Trio in D Minor
13 - Claude Debussy String Quartet 
13 - Béla Bartók Contrasts for Violin, Clarinet, and Piano
14 - Francois Poulenc Sextet for Piano and Winds
15 - Dimitri Shostakovich Piano Quintet


----------



## cougarjuno

a very random list of favorites

Franck: Violin Sonata
Haydn : String Quartet Op. 76 # 4 "Sunrise"
Debusy: Cello Sonata, Sonata for Flute, Viola, Harp
Ravel: Piano Trio
Dvorak: String Quartet in E flat Op 51
Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No. 1 Op 11
Rubinstein: Cello Sonata No. 1
Beethoven: Quintet for Piano and Winds Op. 16
Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 3 op. 108
Schubert: Trout Quintet
Saint Saens Piano Trio Op. 18 
Poulenc: Flute Sonata
Mendelssohn: Octet
Villa Lobos String Quartet No 17
Shostakovich: Piano Trio Op. 67
Grieg: Violin Sonata No. 3 Op. 45


----------



## AfterHours

MJongo said:


> There's no way I could come up with a top 15 that I wouldn't change my mind on the next day, so here's my top 3, which has been pretty stable over the last few years. My favorite recording of each is in brackets.
> 
> 
> Shostakovich - Piano Quintet [Vermeer Quartet, Berman (2000)]
> Beethoven - Große Fuge [Kodály Quartet (1999)]
> Schubert - String Quintet [Melos Quartett, Rostropovich (1978)]
> Shostakovich's Piano Quintet may even be my favorite work of art ever.


Love these, including the selected recordings. For Schubert's String Quintet, I only rank Alban Berg/Schiff above Melos/Rostropovich. Though there has been an occasion when comparing them when I thought otherwise (which I never would've suspected prior to that due to how miraculous the Berg/Schiff rendition is)


----------



## kyjo

Not 'greatest' per se, but *favorite* (one per composer to keep things interesting):

Schubert: String Quintet in C major
Brahms: Piano Trio no. 1 in B major
Schumann: Piano Quartet in E flat major
Schoenberg: _Verklärte Nacht_
Shostakovich: Piano Trio no. 2 in E minor
Dvorak: String Quartet no. 13 in G major
Ginastera: String Quartet no. 1
Debussy: String Quartet in G minor
Ravel: Piano Trio in A minor 
Bloch: Piano Quintet no. 1
Tchaikovsky: _Souvenir de Florence_
Grieg: String Quartet in G minor
Chausson: Concert for Violin, Piano, and String Quartet in D major
Poulenc: Cello Sonata
Franck: Violin Sonata in A major

Runner-ups:

Fauré: Piano Quartet no. 1 in C minor
Rachmaninoff: Cello Sonata in G minor
Miaskovsky: Cello Sonata no. 2 in A minor
Bartók: Piano Quintet in C major
Vaughan Williams: Piano Quintet in C minor
Elgar: Piano Quintet in A minor
Messiaen: _Quatuor pour la fin du temps_
Arensky: String Quartet no. 2 in A minor
Mendelssohn: Cello Sonata no. 2 in D major
Andreae: Piano Trio no. 1 in F minor
Enescu: String Octet in C major
Prokofiev: String Quartet no. 2 in F major
Beethoven: Piano Trio no. 7 in B flat major _Archduke_
Dohnányi: Piano Quintet no. 1 in C minor
Ornstein: Cello Sonata no. 1
Hindemith: String Quartet no. 1 in C major
Babajanian: Piano Trio in F sharp minor 
Bax: Piano Quintet in G minor
Korngold: String Sextet in D major 
Borodin: String Quartet no. 2 in D major
Saint-Saëns: Piano Trio no. 2 in E minor
Suk: Piano Quartet in A minor
Piston: Divertimento for nine instruments


----------



## JosefinaHW

Josquin13 said:


> My top 30 (sorry, I find it impossible to do just 25, let alone 15, but 30 seems more manageable):
> 
> 1--Handel Trio Sonata in G minor, Op.2, no. 5--performed by Ensemble Zefiro
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (Handel's Op. 5 Trio Sonatas are excellent too.)
> 
> 2--J.S. Bach Violin Sonata in B Minor, BWV 1014--no. 1
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 3--J.S.Bach's Violin Sonata in F minor, BWV 1018--no. 5
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (The Musical Offering, Art of the Fugue, and Trio Sonatas are wonderful too.)
> 
> 4--Arcangelo Corelli Violin Sonata Op. 5, No. 1, etc. (the whole Op. 5 set)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 5--Eustache du Caurroy Fantasies "Une jeune filette", etc.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 6--Mozart String Quintet in C KV 515
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 7--Mozart String Quartet in C KV 465 "Dissonance" (& the other 5 Mozart "Haydn Quartets" too)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 8--Mozart String Quartet in D KV 575 (all of his last 4 SQs)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 9--Mozart String Quintet in D major, K. 593
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 10--Mozart Piano Trio in E major, KV 542
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 11--Haydn Piano Trio--any of them: I agree with Rudolf Serkin, who considered Haydn's Piano Trios to be on the same level as Mozart's Piano Concertos:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 12--Haydn String Quartet in B minor, Op. 33 no. 1 & the rest of the Op. 33 set.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 13--Haydn String Quartet in C Major, Op. 74, No. 1 (any of Haydn's SQs in the Op. 70s--they're all masterpieces):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 14--Beethoven String Quartet, No. 13 Op. 130
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 15--Beethoven String Quartet No. 15, Op. 132
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 16--Beethoven String Quartet No. 14, Op. 131
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 17--Beethoven String Quartet No. 7, Op. 59, No. 1 (-3--all three "Rasumovsky" SQs):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 18--Beethoven Archduke Piano Trio, Op. 97:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 19--Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 5, Op. 24 "Spring"--my favorite is Oistrakh's,
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 20--Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 10, Op 96--this one doesn't get enough attention compared to his "Kreutzer", IMO):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 21--Schubert's final String Quartet No. 15 in G Major, D. 887--an old Penquin Guide from the 1970s called this Schubert's "most profound utterance". The Chilingirian Quartet recording is one of my favorites:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 22--Schubert String Quintet, D. 956--the Vellinger Quartet recording with cellist Bernard Greenhouse is my favorite:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 23--Schumann Piano Quartet, Op. 47--which has a beautiful slow movement:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (Schumann's Piano Quintet is another favorite):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 24--Brahms String Quintet No. 2, Op. 111:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (Brahms Violin Sonata No. 1-3 are great favorites of mine too, especially 1 & 2):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 25--Claude Debussy--Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp--a seminal work.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 26--Claude Debussy String Quartet
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 27--Maurice Ravel--String Quartet
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (I also admire Ravel's Piano Trio, and his Introduction et allegro, as well):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 28--Prokofiev Sonata for Flute (or Violin) and Piano in D Major, Op. 94
> 
> Bezaly & Brautigam:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Mintz & Bronfman:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 29--Shostakovich String Quartet No. 4, Op. 83 (etc.):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 30--Charles Koechlin Paysages et Marines (1950, chamber version):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (I also admire Koechlin's Violin, Cello, & Viola Sonatas, as well as his chamber works for wind instruments, such as the Trio for flute, clarinet & basson, where Koechlin can remind me a little of Haydn in his remarkable ability to write for, match & blend diverse instruments)
> 
> (No room left for Faure's 2 Piano Quartets, Ropartz's Prelude, Marines et Chansons, Roussel's Serenade, or Schubert Piano Trios, etc. etc.)


'Extremely grateful that you posted a link to performances! The following is a playlist of all six of Bach's violin sonatas performed by Pablo Valetti and Celine Frisch, recorded on Alpha.


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## Swosh

Good challenge! Gonna make it 30, leave solo pieces out and keep it tonal:

Beethoven string quartet no. 13 with Grand fugue 
Joachim Raff piano quartet no. 2






Mendelssohn string quartet no. 6
Schubert string quintet
Borodin string quartet no. 2
Brahms string quintet no. 2

Dohnanyi piano quintet no. 1





Saint saens piano trio no. 2





Beethoven string quartet no. 10
Beethoven string quartet no. 11
Dvorak piano quintet no. 2

Glazunov string quintet 





Mendelssohn piano trio no. 2
Mozart string quintet g minor
Brahms piano quintet 
Beethoven archduke trio

Raff string quartet no. 7




Beethoven cello sonata no. 3

Fuchs cello sonata no. 1





Fuchs piano quartet op. 75
on itunes. it's great

Herzogenberg piano quintet op. 17





Zarebski piano quintet 





Noskowski piano quartet op. 8





Brahms string quartet no. 1

Fibich piano quintet (1893)





Arensky piano trio no. 1





Brahms clarinet quintet op. 115 





Brahms clarinet sonata no. 2





Tchaikovsky souvenir de florence





Schubert death and the maiden string quartet

Smetana string quartet no. 1





Probably my favourite chamber music, notincluding some others. Thought of the most popular/greatest and lesser known pieces.


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## Swosh

Give Raff's piano trios, octet and violin sonatas a listen, too!


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## juliante

MJongo said:


> There's no way I could come up with a top 15 that I wouldn't change my mind on the next day, so here's my top 3, which has been pretty stable over the last few years. My favorite recording of each is in brackets.
> 
> 
> Shostakovich - Piano Quintet [Vermeer Quartet, Berman (2000)]
> Beethoven - Große Fuge [Kodály Quartet (1999)]
> Schubert - String Quintet [Melos Quartett, Rostropovich (1978)]
> Shostakovich's Piano Quintet may even be my favorite work of art ever.


Thanks for bigging up Shostakovich's Piano Quintet - I had not got round to listening to it yet for no good reason. LOVE this piece! Such a great bit of new colour to my piano chamber collection.


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## Beet131

Another Top 30:

1 Schubert String Quintet in C Major
2 Beethoven String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor
3 Beethoven String Quartet No. 13 in B flat Major
4 Beethoven String Quartet No. 15 in A minor
5 Beethoven Piano Trio No. 7 in B flat Major "Archduke"
6 Brahms Piano Quintet in F minor
7 Mendelssohn String Octet in E flat Major
8 Beethoven Grosse Fuge for String Quartet in B flat Major
9 Brahms Clarinet Quintet in B minor
10 Beethoven String Quartet No. 16 in F Major
11 Brahms Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major
12 Schubert String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, "Death and the Maiden"
13 Beethoven String Quartet No. 12 in E flat Major
14 Schumann Piano Quintet in E flat Major
15 Schubert Piano Trio No. 2 in E flat Major
16 Beethoven String Quartet No. 10 in E flat Major, "Harp"
17 Debussy String Quartet in G minor
18 Mendelssohn Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor
19 Mozart Clarinet Quintet in A Major
20 Mozart String Quintet No. 4 in G minor
21 Brahms String Sextet No. 1 in B flat Major
22 Ravel String Quartet in F Major
23 Dvorak String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, "American"
24 Bartok String Quartet No. 4
25 Faure Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor
26 Schubert Piano Quintet in A Major, "Trout'
27 Tchaikovsky Piano Trio in A minor
28 Mozart String Quintet No. 3 in C Major
29 Haydn Piano Trio No. 25 in G Major, "Gypsy"
30 Bartok String Quartet No. 6

I left out the Razumovsky's of Beethoven to make room, but aren't they really in the top 30? None of Schumann's string quartets are here, but could they be in the top 30? Beethoven's Ghost Piano Trio isn't here, but it should be. Where are the Shostakovich string quartets? Where are the Brahms Piano Quartets? Where's the Ravel Piano Trio? Where's the Dvorak Piano Quintet No. 2?So so many wonderful chamber works. We need lots of Tie's and a list of at least 100!


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## Olias

I can't pick the 15 greatest chamber works because Beethoven composed *16* string quartets.


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