In 1882 Elisabeth von Herzogenberg, who actually was active only as an interpreting pianist, composed eight truly virtuosic piano pieces that her husband would publish after her much too early death. Heinrich's own piano pieces, now recorded in highly poetic style for the first time on three CDs by Natasa Veljkovic, a Vienna-based pianist , show that Herzogenberg had what was very much his own independent voice and truly meriting its own hearing - especially in this enthralling interpretation!

This is the second volume in the Mandelring Quartet's series of Audite recordings of the string quartets of Brahms coupled with string quartets of his lesser known contemporaries. The earlier volume coupled Brahms' C minor quartet with Friedrich Gernsheim's A minor quartet, the later volume coupled Brahms' A minor quartet with Felix Otto Dessoff's F major quartet, and this volume joins Brahms' B flat major quartet with Heinrich von Herzogenberg's G minor quartet.

Heinrich von Herzogenberg (1843-1900) is the best of the Brahms disciples. Not only does he sound like Brahms, but he comes as close to writing at the quality of Brahms as any other second-tier composer I’ve heard. He was himself a close friend of Brahms, who was reticent about expressing praise for Herzogenberg’s works. I’ve read some speculation that Brahms was envious of Herzogenberg’s abilities, and after hearing his piano trios and these cello sonatas, I can believe it. R.H.R. Silvetrust, the editor of the Chamber Music Journal said this about Herzogenberg's cello sonatas: "[they] are every bit as good, if not better, than Brahms'. In my opinion, they play better, the balance is better, the piano does not drown out the cello and the writing for the cello is more cellistic and grateful to play.”

Nineteenth century Austrian composer Heinrich von Herzogenberg started his career as a lesser Wagner and ended it a lesser Brahms. This CPO disc contains two works from the latter part of his career, his four-movement Piano Quintet in C major and his three-movement String Quartet in F minor, performed by the Minguet Quartett with pianist Oliver Triendl. Both works are superbly composed and deeply felt. Herzogenberg clearly knew exactly how to construct a sonata-form movement, precisely how to write counterpoint, and unerringly how to keep his music moving.