Brahms: String Quintets No. 1 + No. 2 Bartholdy Quintett

• Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897): String Quintet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 88:
• 1 Brahms: String Quintet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 88: I. Allegro non troppo ma con brio 09:57
• 2 Brahms: String Quintet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 88: II. Grave ed appassionato – Allegretto vivace – Tempo I – Presto 10:05
• 3 Brahms: String Quintet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 88: III. Allegro energico – Presto 04:59
• String Quintet No.2 in G Major, Op. 111:
• 4 Brahms: String Quintet No.2 in G Major, Op. 111: I. Allegro non troppo ma con brio 12:30
• 5 Brahms: String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 111: II. Adagio 05:55
• 6 Brahms: String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 111: III. Un poco allegretto 05:23
• 7 Brahms: String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 111: IV. Vivace ma non troppo presto 04:56
• Total Runtime 53:45

Info for Brahms: String Quintets No. 1 + No. 2

The Bartholdy Quintett, recording on our partner label CAvi Music, announce their upcoming album of Brahms’ two String Quintets. Attempting to emulate Schubert and Mozart, Brahms waited until a mature age to compose his 2nd string quintet (1890). But when he did, he told his publisher that he felt he had achieved the culmination of entire creative output. In fact, it turned out to be the prelude to a further surge of strength and creativity. Brahms had also originally delayed his first string quintet, finally composed 8 years earlier, having finally felt that his first attempt was better suited as a Piano Quintet. The first String Quintet turned out instead to be one of Brahms' most cheerful chamber music works. He called it a “spring product” or, as his biographer described it, “a child of the pungent Bad Ischl corn.”

Bartholdy Quintett:
Anke Dill, violin
Ulf Schneider, violin
Barbara Westphal, viola
Volker Jacobsen, viola
Gustav Rivinius, cello

Bartholdy Quintett


Anke Dill born in Stuttgart, studied violin with Nora Chastain, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Yair Kless and Donald Weilerstein. The violinist, who has won numerous prizes, performs as a soloist and chamber musician in a wide variety of formations throughout Europe, Japan, China and America. In 2004 she was appointed professor of violin at the State University of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart. She also gives master classes for violin in Lenk (Switzerland), Radolfzell and Kirchheim.

Ulf Schneider studied with Jens Ellermann, Felix Galimir and Thomas Zehetmair. With the Trio Jean Paul, which he founded, he was 1st prize winner at the international chamber music competitions in Osaka, Melbourne and Bonn. Extensive concert activity as a duo, with his trio and quintet, as well as collaborations with actors in Music & Word programmes, take him regularly to the well-known concert series and festivals in Europe, North and South America and Australia. He teaches as a professor at the Musikhochschule in Hanover.

Barbara Westphal studied with Itzhak Perlman and Michael Tree (Guarneri Quartet). She is an ARD prize winner for solo viola and a Busch prize winner. From 1978 to 1985, as a member of the Delos Quartet (USA), she was first prize winner at the International Competition for String Quartets in Colmar (France, 1981), with whom she not only performed internationally, but also made many radio recordings and records. She performs worldwide as a soloist and chamber musician. Barbara Westphal's numerous solo recordings document her ability and versatility. She is a professor at the Musikhochschule Lübeck.

Volker Jacobsen studied at the Musikhochschule Lübeck with Prof. Barbara Westphal. He became intensively involved in chamber music at an early age and founded the Artemis Quartet in 1989, of which he was a member until 2007. After winning first prizes at the ARD Competition and the Premio Paolo Borciani, Volker Jacobsen developed an outstanding career as a member of the quartet, which took him to all the major international stages. CDs as well as two films by the director Bruno Monsaigeons were produced. This work has been honoured by numerous prizes. He was professor of chamber music at the Berlin University of the Arts as well as the Chapelle musicale Reine Elisabeth in Brussels. Since 2007 he has held a professorship for viola at the Hanover University of Music and Drama.

Gustav Rivinius In 1990 Gustav Rivinius was the only German musician to be awarded the first prize and the gold medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Since then he has performed with numerous renowned orchestras at home and abroad. In addition to his solo performances, Gustav Rivinius is passionate about chamber music. He regularly performs with colleagues such as Lars Vogt, Christian Tetzlaff, Antje Weithaas and Sharon Kam and has founded the Trio Gasparo da Salò, the Bartholdy String Quintet and the Tammuz Piano Quartet. In addition to interpreting the standard repertoire, the artist devotes himself intensively to contemporary music. Gustav Rivinius holds a professorship at the Hochschule für Musik Saar.