Belcea Quartet / Tabea Zimmermann / Jean-Guihen Queyras

For Johannes Brahms’ two String Sextets, we have put together a classical supergroup. The internationally renowned Belcea Quartet joins forces with violist Tabea Zimmermann and cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras. A sextet where, if that’s possible, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts - and the separate parts are already deeply impressive. In 2022 the musicians recorded both works for Alpha Classics, with an ‘ethereally delicate’ result. Pared-down, vibratoless and stripped of any frills, their playing has unprecedented purity: warm in the harmonies, distinct in the dynamic contrasts. This is nothing less than a reference performance that evinces not only their formal mastery of the music, but also their unprecedented inspiration.