FERDINAND HILLER (1811-1885): Piano Quartet No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 133, Piano Quintet in G, Op. 156.

Description: The two works recorded here, from 1870 and 1872 represent the mature Hiller's weightiest contributions to chamber music. For his piano quartet, Hiller chose the key of A minor, which was considered passionate in the High Romantic period. For long stretches, this key determines the work's basic dramatic tone, which only brightens into a radiant A major in the finale. The piano part is too demanding to be performed in the context of house music. His quintet proves to be more of a lyrical counterpart to the quartet. The real surprise is that the theme of the final movement turns out to be a variant of the main theme of the first movement, bringing the quintet as a whole closer to a cyclical form. Minguett Quartet, Oliver Triendl (piano).