Belcea Quartet - Brahms: String Sextets - All Music

4.5*

... this 2022 release by the Belcea Quartet, with violist Tabea Zimmermann and cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras, vaults to the top levels of the list. The players get the broad harmonic paths of the young Brahms, less subtle than in his later works but hugely compelling when done right. Consider the twists and turns of the Scherzo from the first sextet, which holds little appeal if played blankly; here, the work keeps one on the edge of one's seat with its sudden acceleration in the Trio of the Scherzo.  A very strong outing from a quartet that is among the most consistent in the field.