Bargiel was expected to be a modern composer, but not a 'New German' composer, reflecting a 'schizophrenic' expectation of his era.
Woldemar Bargiel was the half-brother of Clara Schumann and brother-in-law to Robert Schumann, a fact often mentioned in 19th-century criticism.
Bargiel's focus on piano and chamber music, rather than a series of symphonies, may have contributed to his posthumous fame quickly fading.
Mark Gothoni, the first violinist of the Orpheus Quartet, plays an A. Stradivari violin from 1709, which belongs to the University of the Arts Berlin.
Robert Schumann, in his 1853 article 'Neue Bahnen,' praised Johannes Brahms as an outstanding talent but ranked Woldemar Bargiel below him.
The Orpheus Quartet commissioned French bowmaker Stéphane Muller to create a set of bows themed on the four classical elements for their performances.
Bargiel worked slowly and consciously, often honing his compositions over many years, with his documented creative period lasting from 1848 to 1888.
