Ludwig Thuille: Sextet/Piano Quintet (Naxos Audio CD)

•One of the leading members of the Munich School, most famously represented by Richard Strauss, Ludwig Thuille was a prolific composer whose Sextet today remains the best known of his many chamber works.

•Influenced by Rheinberger, Liszt and Wagner, Thuille’s Sextet also recalls Brahms’s deft mastery, particularly with regard to his arching melodies, scrupulous handling of instrumental textures and technical skill.

•His second Piano Quintet, likewise notable for its formal mastery and dramatic contrasts, boasts many passages of thrilling intensity, counterpoint and surging lyricism.