Brahms & Shostakovich: Piano Quintets

Album review

Two landmark works of the chamber repertoire, the Piano Quintets of Johannes Brahms and Dmitri Shostakovich, are rendered with power and beauty by acclaimed pianist Olga Kern and the path-breaking Dalí Quartet.

Brahms tried different combinations of instruments for what became his Piano Quintet before settling on the warm, rich sound of four strings to blend and contrast with the power and dramatic capabilities of the piano. The piece has long been a favorite with performers and audiences. While Brahms chose to open his quintet with a movement in classical sonata form, Shostakovich began his with a prelude and fugue, acknowledging Bach. One of the most popular works of chamber music from the 20th Century, the Quintet is emotionally intense and the mood vacillates from happy to sad, tragic to cheerful, and everything in between.

New York City-based Olga Kern is the winner of many prestigious awards, like the Gold Medal of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. She has given solo recitals and performed with leading orchestras around the world, and makes her Delos debut with this release. The Philadelphia-based Dalí Quartet is best known for spearheading an infusion of Latin-American works into the chamber repertoire. © Delos