Belcea Quartet / Cuarteto Casals

In this concert, each quartet interprets a sextet by Brahms – and »borrows« a viola and cello player from the other ensemble. The advantage for the audience is obvious: each work will have a unique new sound.

As a young pianist and composer, Brahms was looking for a genre of instrumental music that did not have a famous tradition and countless masterworks. He got lucky. The junior head of publishing house Simrock bought the rights to Brahms’s first string sextet, against the explicit wishes of his father. It was a surprise hit. The ensemble of the world premiere was played under the direction of violin virtuoso – and Brahms’s close friend – Joseph Joachim. For Brahms, the encounter of two professional string quartets in one evening would have probably seemed like a dream!