Piano Quartet C minor [antikvár]

BRAHMS, PIANO-QUARTET. C minor Op. 60. The C minor Piano-Ouartel pubhthed u op. 60 appeared m its onginal form much earlier than the two others op. 26 and 26 pnnted a« !«r back 1863. It was written first ol all in C «hsrp minor and had no Scherzo Al the beginning ol Apnl 1856 Brahms brought it to Joachim m Har^nover and tried it over. Neither seemed lo be satisfied wiih the performance an I the composer left it with hi» friend for him to study lunher. When Joachim relnrned it shortly afterwards, he wrote:—"1 have often gone through your (Quartet, austere in the first movement, and with its deeply felt Andante and passionate Finale and 1 must thank you for havmg given me the opportunity of getting better acquainted with it. What boldness, strength *nd geniality in the opening Allegrof II is really astoundingi It dare not speake ol alterations until I have heard it agtin and heard it properly. It wsia only a jumble before I" Joachim then finds a few faults and makes some suggestions. We read in Clara Schumann's diary, October 18lh ol the same year:— "Brahms has written a wonderful Adagio for his C sharp minor Ousriet." Yet we must not infer thst this is the same slow movement known to Joachim. In any case the composer made some improvenlents on his work and tried it over sgain with Joachi^i in November 1866 when the iMter went lo Hamburg. But what Brahms had hoped, namely, (as he clcariy told Clara Schumann in his Hi. 24Il letter of November 26th) that Joachim would give him k detailed description ol his opinions in wnung, did not happen; at least there is no letter to prove it. Brahms asked Clara Sc'-.umann if he should send her the Quviet as soon M Joachim returned it and added: — It seems very hard to play. Can you study it and practice il? Otherwise il will sound dreadful. I often wish I could send you something similar lo your kind and delightful ietters. I am ¦ man of straw and not worthy of your friendship beloved Clara." But the publication of the Quartet remained in at>e ance for the time being; It wiu too dear to the composer lor him to sacnfice it to the public. la the year 1868 he indicated to Hermann Deiters what he had put into the work. Speaking of the hist movement he said: —"Imagine a man lor wnom nothing is left and who wishes to put an end to himself." He expressed himself eveff more clearly, when he reguned hifc spints, in a let'er lo Theodor Billroth (October 23rd 1874) accompanying the M. S. ol the OuATiet: —"« cunosily — an illustration lor the last chapter in the life of the man in the blue coal and yellow vest". Thatthis Quanet is evidence of his Wenher period and his unhappy love for Clan Schumann is mote strikingly proved by his letter to Fritx Simrock (August 12th 1875), in which he says:—"On the cover you must hare a picture, a head with a pistol pointed towards IL Now you can lorm an idea