New Zealand String Quartet Photo: Bruce Harris
Johannes Brahms wrote the 'Quintet No 1 in F' while saying in the Austrian holiday town of Bad Ischl. Although he settled permanently in Vienna from 1869, he often preferred to seek inspiration in more rural areas surrounded by natural beauty. Like Mozart, Brahms created his string quintets by adding a second viola, rather than a second cello as in Schubert's famous 'Quintet in C'.
This Quintet is sometimes called 'Spring' and it's easy to imagine the season unfolding as the music begins warmly and full of emerging life.
Recorded in Nelson Centre of Musical Arts by RNZ.
Sound engineer: Darryl Stack
