Beautiful Classical Smaller Pieces, duo,trio,etc

Larryi, just read your 6-11 post. Not only do I agree about Schuberts D. 956; I feel just the opening bars are worth the price of admission. As I write I am listening to the effort by the State Borodin Quintet and am too entranced to write more. I am reaching for my brandy as we speak...Cheers to all who feel these enormous musical contributions- and a huge thanks to all who have posted ^<. Pete

Shostakovich string qt. #8--powerful stuff with some moments of beauty, albeit ominous

Well. IMO the daddy of them all from a modern composer, is String Qt. # 2, Intimate Letters" by the great Czech Leos Janacek .

Schubert,

Janacek #2 IS a terrific modern piece, and # 1 (Kreutzer) is worth mentioning too.

For modern American I would add Carter's Quartet #3 and Ives #2.

For another "modern" composer, but, composing more in a late romantic style, Schoenberg's "Verklarte Nacht" is a basic item.

I know this is intended to be a basic list, but, can we add mention of obscure or odd-ball items that are worth tracking down? In that context I would throw in Somei Sato's "Birds in Warped Time II."

I thought surely someone would of mentioned it by now, but as nobody has, I'll mention a work that belongs in all collections .

Carl Nielsen's Op. 43 Wind Quintet , up there in Mozart winds league with modernistic melody structure .

Vienna Quintet on Nimbus is good .