String sextets

[Glazier]

Any nominations for good string sextets?

[jimmosk]

Given what board this is, I'll skip right over Brahms, and recommend Arnold Rosner's String Sextet "Nun Komm der Heiden Heiland". It's in his usual modal language, and is a serious work packed with interesting musical ideas. You can listen to snippets at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008BL8K/

For balance, I suggest you follow it up with the playfulness of Peter Schickele's sextet. Excerpts here: http://www.amazon.com/Schickele-Lark-Julia-Lichten/dp/B00000DCQS

-J

--
Jim Moskowitz
The Unknown Composers Page:  http://kith.org/jimmosk/TOC.html
My latest list of unusual classical CDs for auction:  http://tinyurl.com/jimmosk

[Alan Howe]

Dohnanyi or Korngold, maybe?

[black]

Dohnanyi's String Sextet is the work of a 16 year old, still a bit immature.
I would recommend  Spohr (op 140) and Dvorak (op 48) both well written. Gliere has composed 3 sextets, of which the 3rd op 11 is the best in my opinion.
Less known but worth listening to are the sextets by Louis Glass and Hans Koessler. And yes, Joseph Holbrooke has written a Sextet as well.

[Hofrat]

Joachim Eggert wrote a fantastic string sextet. 

[chill319]

Arnold Schönberg's "Verklärte Nacht" is not unsung but well worth remembering.

Gade's E-flat major Sextet, op. 44 (published 1865, between Brahms's opp. 18 and 36), is a substantial work that shows in it's deployment of motivic material and cogent developments the hand of a master composer, and in its phrasing (particularly the outer movements) that of a devoted follower of Mendelssohn. I think anyone who enjoys Mendelssohn's sunnier chamber music (keeping in mind that there's always the play of shadows in Mendelssohn-- even more so in Gade's sextet) will find the Gade very much to their liking.

[Hovite]

Any nominations for good string sextets?

In addition to Gade, I would add Glinka and Gliere.

[John Hudock]

In addition to Gade, I would add Glinka and Gliere.

Does Glinka have a string sextet? I am only aware of the Grand Piano Sextet.
Also Gliere has written three string sextets, I'm not sure all have been recorded (Op 11, the 3rd has several recordings, I'm not sure about the first two).

Here are some others you might like to try:

Boccherini wrote several nice ones.
Borodin (not complete, but quite lovely like all of Borodin's very limited output)

There are also string sextets worth exploring by:
Frank Bridge
Max Reger
Joachim Raff
Ludwig Norman
Julius Rontgen
Erwin Schulhoff
Andrzej Panufnik
Louis Glass
Eduard Franck (2)
Mihaly Mosonyi
Vincent D'Indy
Richard Strauss - String Sextet from Capriccio

in a more modern vein:
Charles Wuorinen
Bachara El-Khoury (not a traditional sextet it is for all violins, avail on Naxos arr for orch of 24 violins)

[albion]

There don't seem to be many examples by British composers, but I would also recommend Holbrooke's String Sextet in D, Op.43 (Marco Polo 8.223736 or easily obtainable as a download). Stretching the remit slightly,  the Piano Sextet in F sharp minor, Op.8 by William Sterndale Bennett (Marco Polo 8.223304 or ditto) is very attractive.

[Peter1953]

And then there is Antoni Stolpe...Not a String Sextet like the above mentioned, but his Scène dramatique pour violoncelle et quintette à cordes (Dramatic scene for cello and string quintet), lasting 13:29 minutes, leaves the listener begeistert.

[John Hudock]

There's also a string sextet by Rimsky-Korsakov, an early work. There's a recording on Czech label Praga. I don't have the recording, I'll have to get a copy. You can hear some short excpts here:

http://www.editionsilvertrust.com/rimsky-korsakov-string-sextet.htm

[Hovite]

Does Glinka have a string sextet? I am only aware of the Grand Piano Sextet.

Sorry, I wasn't paying attention: that was the one I was thinking of.

Also Gliere has written three string sextets, I'm not sure all have been recorded (Op 11, the 3rd has several recordings, I'm not sure about the first two).

I haven't heard the 1st, just broadcasts of the 2nd and 3rd.

[eschiss1]

Does Glinka have a string sextet? I am only aware of the Grand Piano Sextet.

Sorry, I wasn't paying attention: that was the one I was thinking of.

Also Gliere has written three string sextets, I'm not sure all have been recorded (Op 11, the 3rd has several recordings, I'm not sure about the first two).

I haven't heard the 1st, just broadcasts of the 2nd and 3rd.

I believe one of the Gliere sextets has been recorded, on MDG along with the octet.

I recommend Reger's sextet too, though it wouldn't be on a shortlist of chamber works I'd recommend (not ahead of, say, the last string quartets, the string trios, the last violin sonatas, piano trio 2 or a few others. But it's still rather good. I think there's a recording on MDG and at least two others - I only know the one on Jecklin, which may no longer be available.)

Eric

[eschiss1]

Whoops, missed Mr. Hudock's mention of the Reger, apologies. Must second quite a few on his list, at that
Still haven't heard Raff's (G minor) myself yet - unfortunately. Only one recording that I know of!
There is one by Anton Rubinstein in D, but I believe it's as yet unrecorded. I skimmed the score briefly as I did his string quintet op.59 (but more briefly) about a decade ago by interlibrary loan, but not enough to get a real impression of it (unlike the quintet which seems quite good to me.) (I think I can also second Gade's as a very pleasant work to hear also Its score and/or parts, like that of Holbrooke's and some others, can be found linked at http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Sextet.)

[Glazier]

How about Molbe's SS (with db not 2vc) parts on IMSLP- any recordings?