When Brahms decided, in 1890, to give up composing—only to change his mind under the influence of the inspiring clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld—did he feel his G major quintet was a fitting end, or had he run out of creative juice? Despite loving Brahms's chamber music, I find that both quintets (the first is in F major), for all their richness and subtlety, lack distinct personality, but perhaps only because I don't know them. They're among his most neglected works. These fine performances make a strong case for them.