A few years ago, composer Friedrich Gernsheim was hailed as a "romantic who invented the Winnetou melody." His music was said to be "accessible in a way," and rediscovering it "great fun." The recognition of his artistic value is certainly no more helpful than the anachronism of coincidental similarity to other musical material or disparaging his output as superficial entertainment. A work such as his Fourth String Quartet (1900) is a clear enough example to demonstrate the seriousness of Brahms's friend. Elegiac in character, seasoned with an enchanting scherzo and burning with dramatic conciseness, this masterpiece of the highest calibre leaves a deep impression. Serious and perceptive listeners will notice initial traces of the work in the first string quintet, a good thirty years older.
