String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 111 (Parts); Brahms (Henle)

String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op.111 for two violins, two violas, and cello by Johannes Brahms

Parts only. Urtext edition by Kathrin Kirsch. Published by Henle

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was a significant German composer whose music is often considered to represent the apex of 19th century romanticism. He aligned himself with baroque and classical traditions with his structural coherence and contrapuntal mastery, yet he was also considered a progressive in his freer treatment of dissonance, rhythm, and motivic development. His music is known for its meticulous, intelligent craft, as well as its uniquely introspective and tender emotional core.

Brahms, responding to a request from Joseph Joachim, wrote his String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op.111 (1890) to be his final work, telling his publisher that he said all he could as a composer (he returned to composing only a year later). Like his first string quintet, it is a Mozartean configuration with two violas (as opposed to two cellos). It is a glorious, show-stopping work approaching symphonic dimensions in its instrumental textures, especially in the bracing, heroic opening. Hungarian elements pervade across the quintet, from the bold harmonies of the slow movement to the Dvorak-like waltz to the exotic finale. This premium Henle urtext edition contains historical and critical commentary. Parts only. Advanced level, Grade 5.