Chamber music links: Beethoven, Schubert and Arvo Part

We love chamber music because it offers intimacy and the exhilaration of animated conversation. Chamber music has been called "the music of friends.” Goethe described the string quartet as "four rational people conversing.” This conversation refers to the way one instrument introduces an idea and other instruments respond to that, repeating it, embellishing it, arguing with it, shouting it down, or giving it the silent treatment.

Here are a few of the selections we heard on Nov. 19. Thanks to all who came.

Beethoven's String Quartet Op. 132 in A Minor, third movement, with the Ebene Quartet. Start at 19:50.

Schubert's String Quintet in C Major, Borodin Quartet with unidentified second cellist:

Brahms' Piano Quintet in F Minor, Scherzo, with Orion Weiss, piano; Noah Bendix-Balgley and Diana Cohen, violins;, Dimitri Murrath, viola; Robert deMaine, cello:

Arvo Part's "Spiegel im Spiegel," Leonhard Roczek, cello; Herbert Schuch, piano: