There are actually 3 piano quartets from Brahms....all masterly, with
#3 in C minor perhaps being my favorite of his works.  I don't know any
Richter recordings (perhaps you are thinking of his recordings of the
Dvorak quinetets witht he Borodin quartet) but I heartily recommend that
you make every effort to find the 2 CDs the group known as Domus recorded
of these pieces....they are amazing.  Simply put, the perfect blend of
pathos and technical precision...recorded sound is amazing.  Unfortunately
these CDs are on Virgin (VC 7 90739-2 and VC 7 90709-2), who are notorious
for deleting their best CDs.  The bonus selection (and quite a bonus it
is) is Gustav Mahler's quartet movement....which clearly lines him up in
Brahms' tradition and is a very strong piece on its own (a lot of ties
between Wagnerian and Brahmsian harmony and development can be found in
these 11 minutes).  If you are unable to find these, there is the all-star
lineup of E.  Ax, I.  Stern, J.  Laredo, and Y.  Ma on Sony classical which
is pretty flashy and glossy but does fill the hole nicely.  If you want to
buy individual performances my other favorites are:

1--Berlin Philharmonic Ensemble on MD + G, or Emil Gilels and the Amadeus
SQ on DG (both almost match Domus)

2--W. Trampler and the Beaux Arts Trio on Philips

3--sheesh there's almost no match to the Domus recording that I've
heard....try Ax/Stern/Laredo/Ma or Rubinstein w/ the Guarner Quartet on RCA

I haven't heard the Hollywood SQ's recordings with Victor Al;ler on
Testament.  but I'm sure these are amazing, although Domus would easily
trump them due to recorded sound.

This set of pieces definitely includes one of my desert island pieces
(#3) and the other two are extraordinary works in their own right.  I'd
recommend scouring every used CD store within 100 miles to find Domus'
recording.....good luck!

Marcus Maroney
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http://www.geocities.com/marcus.maroney