Of the man considered his artistic and spiritual successor, Schumann wrote: "'It seemed to me ……that……a musician would inevitably appear to whom it was vouchsafed to give the highest and most ideal expression to the tendencies of our time And he has come, a young man over whose cradle Graces and Heroes stood watch. His name is Johannes Brahms."
By 1853 Brahms had emerged as a force in music, and would afterwards be aeknowledged as the greatest master of the symphonic form of the last half of the century. In that generation of composers, only Dvorak （for whom he had a special regard and to whom he gave invaluable aid） produced as much chamber music as the prolific Brahms. This prodigious outpouring, perhaps more than any other aspect of Brahms's oeuvre, provides a clear and uninterrupted view of his artistic
development.
Here reproduced in this handsome, inexpensive volume is a superb seleetion of chamber works masterful compositions by Brahms, written for violin, viola, cello and piano. Reprinted from the reliable Breitkopf & Hartel edition, they include Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34 （……a work of great power……it gives a singularly vigorous and full-blooded picture of the Brahms of 1864--GROVE'S DIC-TIONARY OF MUSIC AND MUSICIANS）; the Quartet in G Minor, Op. 25 （1861） and Quartet in A Major, Op. 26 （1861-2）, distinguished by their variety of moods, gypsy coloring and richness of ideas; and the Quartet in C Minor, Op. 60 （1875）,with its somber and foreboding atmosphere.
Standards of the repertoire, the four compositions are strongly dramatic, richly inventive and filled with ingenious thematic transformations. Musicians, music lovers, any admirer of Brahms will welcome their appearance in this convenient, affordable edition. Large readable noteheads and ample margins for notations make this excellent volume an important addition to the library of every seriousstudent of chamber music.
Unabridged republication of the music from "Serie 8. Klavier-Quintett und-Quartette," part of the Complete Works Edition edited by Hans Gal （Samtliche Werke）, Breitkopf & Hartel, Leipzig, 1927. Translation of Editor's Commentary. vi+ 298pp. 9X12. Paperbound.
