Andrew Joyce, Julia Joice, Diedre Irons & Vesa-Matti Leppanen Piano Quartet Photo: Supplied
Vesa-Matti Leppänen (violin), Julia Joyce (viola), Andrew Joyce (cello), Diedre Irons (piano)
Brahms started learning the piano at the age of 7, in Hamburg, and in his teens helped the family finances by playing in 'taverns, restaurants and other places of amusement' (Geiringer).
In 1860 at the age of 27, Brahms left Hamburg and went to live in Vienna. It was there, the following year, that he completed this Piano Quartet in A. The piece is full of sweetness and light, lyricism, deceptive effortlessness and is quite reminiscent of Schubert whose music Brahms studied carefully in Vienna.
Recorded 7 August 2016, St Andrew's on The Terrace, Wellington by RNZ Concert
A Wellington Chamber Music Trust concert
