We always like to hear others' opinions about things, and we're
sure you do too. We've set aside this page for you to share your
thoughts on the chamber repertoire: favorite pieces, favorite
composers, etc... You can click here to air your views,
and you can read others' opinions below. We also remind you that we
read and moderate every submission that comes in, so please keep
everything in good taste.
Name: Andrew Hsieh
E-mail:
Date: Tuesday, October 22, 2002 at 06:41:49
Text: Hmm... it's hard to pick out the best of the best. A few of
my favorites are already on the Top 15 list here: the first
Razumovsky, Brahms' Piano Quintet, and Dvorak's "American" Quartet.
Among my other favorites: Borodin's 2nd String Quartet, Schubert's
C major Cello Quintet, Schubert's Octet for winds and strings, and
Mark O'Connor's Quartet for violin, viola, cello, and bass. Just
about anything by Villa-Lobos is good too.
Name: Clara
E-mail:
Date: Friday, July 19, 2002 at 05:04:41
Text: I'd have to say that the Mendelssohn String Quartets are the
creme de la creme, especially the 2nd and the last. Beethoven
(18/1, 18/4, 59/1, 132) and Borodin (the 2nd one) are up there as
well... there is something about the (perfect) balance in a string
quartet that I think makes them superior to other chamber genres
:-) but Dvorak's Piano Quintet and Schumann's Piano Quintet are
beautiful as well. By the way, music lovers, chamber music lovers,
string quartet lovers, and Guarneri Quartet lovers should get a
hold of the book "Indivisible by Four" by Arnold Steinhardt--what a
great book. Read it if you want to find out more about the lives
and music of 20th-century conductors & musicians, revered
composers, life in a quartet, music, art, the meaning of
life...
Name: Anny
E-mail:
Date: Sunday, April 7, 2002 at 14:17:30
Text: If it's a question of great chamber music....Beethoven's late
string quartets, all the way, bar none, no questions asked. They
are simply some of the most profound and poignantly written works
ever composed.
Name: David R. Cole
E-mail:
Date: Monday, February 11, 2002 at 11:50:25
Text: Besides the Beethoven quartets, I like Ravel's Quartet in F,
the Tchaikovsky Piano Trio in A Minor, The Elegiac Piano Trio by
Rachmaninoff, and any chamber music by the Argentinian tango
composser Astor Piazzolla. I'm learning the Tchaikovsky Piano Trio
at the moment, and it's proving to be a gem.
Name: Alex McLeod
E-mail:
Date: Tuesday, June 5, 2001 at 09:59:01
Text: Like the other people who responded with their favourites, I
have a great deal of trouble identifying mine. I'd have to say that
the third Razumovski, which I am now playing, is certainly up
there. Others would be Black Angels, by George Crumb, and Ligetti's
first string quartet, "Metamorphosis". Of course the old dead white
guys are incredible, but new music has a wholly different type of
excitement.
Name: emily hall
E-mail:
Date: Thursday, April 26, 2001 at 22:15:55
Text: umm lets see... stravinsky-rite of spring & 3 pieces for
clarinet solo, schubert-death & the maiden, bach-inventions,
gershwin-rhapsody in blue, anything by stephen leek(australian
composer) and debussy.
Name: Heidi
E-mail:
Date: Monday, April 16, 2001 at 15:46:54
Text: Hello! I'm a 16 year old girl from Norway.I found this site
on altavista.com and I think it's great! The best way to learn
about classical music,though, is the book "Classical Music for
Dummies" by David Pogue and Scott Speck...it's so funny:) Since I
play the clarinet myself, my absolute favourite piece is Mozart's
quintet for clarinet and strings.It's really, really beautiful-I
hope some day I'll play it myself. Otherwise I like anything by
Mozart,and I'm in love with the Moonlight Sonata(Beethoven).Edvard
Grieg's a nice guy too.(his music on the other hand...just
kidding:)
Name: Julia
E-mail:
Date: Thursday, February 22, 2001 at 15:05:59
Text: I don't think I really need to post this...but... Any chamber
piece by Shostakovich is automatically among my favorites. I really
like Dvorak and Borodin as well...There are so many good ones out
there. But as I'm infamous for, Shostakovich is my favorite.
Name: Andrew Jones
E-mail:
Date: Wednesday, December 15, 1999 at 19:31:05
Text: There is so much good music out there, but i would have to
raise Steve Reich's Different Trains and Tan Dun's Ghost Opera to
the light as being two truly wonderful chamber pieces.
Name: Edward Hall
E-mail:
Date: Friday, October 8, 1999 at 00:02:45
Text: Personally, the pieces most dear to me are the quartets by
Beethoven (even though
the later ones get a bit difficult.) Then there are the piano trios
by Mendelssohn,
Brahms, and (of course)
Beethoven. Basically all of the quintets listed on the top 15 list here are also favorites of mine. I
guess you could say that this is a pretty conservative favorites
list, but then again these are widely loved pieces for a reason
:)
Name: Moses Lei
E-mail:
Date: Saturday, September 11, 1999 at 21:54:10
Text: As I've already said elsewhere, Beethoven's 59#1 is one of my
favorites... the Mozart "Dissonant"
quartet is also great. I also recommend Ravel's F major quartet (don't remember the
number, or if he wrote more than one)
Moses
Name: john burke
E-mail:
Date: Friday, August 20, 1999 at 23:26:13
Text:
A couple of 20th century US trios that I think should be added
to the repertoire ist: Copland: Vitebsk. 1 movement,
slow-fast-slow, inspired by the Yiddish play "The
Dybbuk"--wonderful piece. David Amam: Dirge and Variations.
Composed at Marboro, very appealing, very little known.
A couple of trios by women composers: Clara Schumann G
minor--wonderful slow movement. Cecile Chaminade G minor: also a
good piece, too little known.
Name: Charles Han
E-mail:
Date: Tuesday, August 17, 1999 at 18:18:50
Text: Hi, I'm Charles Han, one of the authors of this site. As to
my favorite chamber pieces, it's hard to say. Hmm.. there are so
many good ones. The 15 greatest section
pretty much sum up most of my favorites, but I'll ty to mention
some more: the Shostakovich Trio
#2 is pretty enjoyable (but very hard!)... let's see, there's
the "Death and the Maiden" Quartet
by Schubert, also very
good... then of course I can't forget the Schubert C major String Quintet, the last (and
perhaps best?) piece he ever wrote... and then there's all of the
quartets by Beethoven. Oh
well, can't seem to think of any more for now...
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