William Strother wrote:

>Michael Stein wrote:
>
>>On my list of reissues I'd like to see is the Casals Festival performance
>>of the Brahms Quintet #2, Op. 111.  The inspired group played like demons
>>that day: Isaac Stern, Alexander Schneider, Milton Katims, Milton Thomas
>>and Paul Tortelier.
>
>I don't have the Quintet, but I do have the Sextet No. 1 with Stern,
>Schneider, Katims, Thomas, Madeline Foley and Pablo Casals.  This is on
>a Columbia CD #MPK 44851.  Also an incredible ensemble.  This one was
>recommended to me by Eugene Istomin, who was present for the recording.

This is by far my favourite recording of op.18 which I have on vinyl.
A vintage cast with Casals as the driving force as can almost literally
be heard in the supreme performance of the second movement.  It's very
interesting to compare this one with the recent L'Archibudelli version
which is in every aspect its opposite:  they offer a very lightheaded,
almost careless, poetic Brahms while Casals c.s.  are the epitome of
*symphonic* majestic Brahms playing.

Philip Peters