Oct 17: ECM New Series Releases Zehetmair Quartett's Recording of Johannes Brahms' String Quartets, Op. 51

ECM New Series Releases

Zehetmair Quartett
Johannes Brahms: String Quartets, Op. 51

Thomas Zehetmair, violin; Jakub Jakowicz, violin; Ruth Killius, viola; Christian Elliott, violoncello

ECM New Series 2765
Release Date: October 17, 2025

Press downloads available upon request.

A central fixture in the world of string quartets for the past thirty years, the Zehetmair Quartett’s ECM recordings of Schumann, Hindemith, Bartók and Hartmann have received luminous praise—Gramophone lauded their Schumann as “Record of the Year”, while The Sunday Times described their Hindemith and Bartók performances as “playing of huge finesse in both pieces,” calling them “a real benchmark”. For this newest entry into their New Series catalogue, the ensemble turns to Johannes Brahms’s first two string quartets, Op. 51 Nos. 1 and 2 – works of mature reflection and dramatic urgency that reveal Brahms’s mastery of form. Recorded with the Zehetmair Quartett’s characteristic intensity and richly expressive depth, the performances capture fresh and deeply felt readings of these cornerstone chamber works.

On paper, the two quartets appear to be the very first ones Johannes Brahms ever wrote. In reality however, the composer had actually come up with roughly 20 quartets prior to these two, or so he confided to a close friend. Brahms ended up torching all initial drafts, making Op. 51 his first two of a total three published quartets – all works, which challenge the previously established compositional practices in the genre. In his liner essay, Wolfgang Stähr observes their progressive quality closely, noting how especially in the first of the two – the C minor quartet – „Brahms blurs the boundaries between movements by continually developing already familiar material… He does not think in terms of traditional, defined themes; rather, he reveals musical aspects such as the dotted rhythm, which takes on a life of its own and asserts itself prominently throughout the entire quartet, driving melodies upward, plunging them into the abyss, or holding them captive in endless repetitions.”

The Zehetmair Quartett has consistently explored both the core Romantic repertoire and more contemporary composers throughout its New Series tenure; in the present context though, their 2003 performance of Schumann’s first and third quartets (ECM 1793) offers a striking analogue (celebrated by the Financial Times as a “reference recording”). Here once again Thomas Zehetmair and Ruth Killius, in this incarnation of the quartet joined by violinist Jakub Jakowicz and violoncellist Christian Elliott, prove a rare mastery of two cornerstone 19th century works.

In reference to Beethoven, Brahms famously said: "You can't have any idea what it's like always to hear such a giant marching behind you!" In casting both his first string quartet and symphony in C minor, the key so indelibly marked by Beethoven’s most towering creations, Brahms may have sought both to honour the master and to wrest himself free from his shadow. With their powerful approach, full of sparkling dynamics, the Zehetmair Quartett here reveals the full potential of how profoundly Brahms succeeded at both.

Regrettably, it is the last of the quartet’s recordings to feature cellist Christian Elliott (1984-2025). “It was a joy to work with him on the ever-changing character of the voices, to sense the meaning of every phrase and bring it to life. The void he leaves behind is painful – Christian, we miss you.”

Recorded at Konzerthaus Blaibach in 2021, the album was produced by Manfred Eicher. The booklet includes a liner essay by Wolfgang Stähr in German and English.

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Founded in 1994 by the Austrian conductor and violinist Thomas Zehetmair, the Zehetmair Quartett counts among the most esteemed string quartets worldwide. Highly regarded for its thoughtful, distinctive interpretations, the quartet perform with great expressive intensity. Alongside the standard repertoire, the foursome is equally compelling in its profound understanding of contemporary music.

First introduced to ECM’s New Series through the Lockenhaus Edition in 1985, the quartet has since gone from strength to strength: Its New Series recordings of Bartók’s Fourth and Hartmann’s First String Quartet, as well as Schumann’s First and Third, have received prestigious awards including the Diapason d’Or de l’Année, the Gramophone Award (Record of the Year), the Edison Award, and the Klara Award for Best International Production of the Year.

The quartet’s recording of Hindemith’s String Quartet No. 4 and Bartók’s No. 5 again won the Diapason d’Or de l’Année, while The Guardian said “in the Hindemith the Zehetmair Quartet really have set a new benchmark.” In November 2014, the quartet was honoured with the Paul Hindemith Prize of the City of Hanau in recognition of its outstanding musical achievements and contributions to the composer’s legacy. In 2013, a recording with works by Beethoven, Bruckner, Hartmann, and Holliger followed (“an amazing variety of sonorities” – BBC Music Magazine).