Brahms's String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor was intended for his friend Joseph Joachim, a violinist, and incorporates Joachim's personal motto 'Frei aber einsam' (Free but lonely) into its opening theme.
Recording & Production
The Intermezzo in A Major, Op. 118 No. 2, originally a piano piece by Brahms, is heard on this recording in an arrangement for string quartet by Zak Grafilo, the first violinist of the Alexander String Quartet.
Instruments
The instruments used on this recording are the Ellen M. Egger Quartet, a set of stringed instruments made by Francis Kuttner in 1987, including two violins, a viola, and a cello.
Performer Biography
The Alexander String Quartet, celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2021, has performed on five continents and served as Ensemble-in-Residence for San Francisco Performances and San Francisco State University since 1989.
Compositional Technique
Brahms's final String Quartet, Opus 67, is notable for its genial finale, which is a compositional tour de force combining themes from its opening and closing movements.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Brahms felt immense pressure composing within the shadow of Beethoven, lamenting to conductor Hermann Levi, "You have no idea how the likes of us feel when we hear the tramp of a giant like him behind us."
Composer Biography
Johannes Brahms, the composer, struggled for many years to write string quartets, destroying at least twenty before publishing his first two at age 40.
