The Mandelring Quartet, known for its expressivity and homogeneity, launched its international career by winning competitions in Munich (ARD), Evian, and Reggio Emilia (Premio Paolo Borciani).
Composer Biography
Brahms confided that the G major sextet had 'untied him' from his 'last love', a comment believed to refer to Agathe von Siebold.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Brahms stated his preference for the bass line in variations, saying, 'In a theme of variations, it is almost only the bass that means something to me. But the bass is sacred, it is the firm ground on which I build my creations.'
Composer Biography
Brahms' G major sextet, Op. 36, contains a musical anagram of Agathe von Siebold's name (A-G-A-B-E), a woman to whom he was once engaged.
Composition History
Johannes Brahms' Op. 18 Sextet was his first valid chamber work without piano, marking the beginning of a five-year period of compositions for smaller instrumental ensembles.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Brahms often created works in pairs, and the two string sextets, Op. 18 and Op. 36, share many similarities.
Compositional Technique
The dominant motif of the Adagio theme in the G major sextet originates from Robert Schumann's Introduction and Allegro appassionato, Op. 92.
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