Piano Quintet in G minor - String Quartet No.1

For those unfamiliar with Bruch’s chamber music, I think this recording is a superb introduction with one caveat: the performance of the String Quartet in C minor op. 9 is too demure. There is a winning rendition of Bruch’s complete string quartets by the  Diogenes Quartett  that is so raw and powerful that it sounds nothing like the Goldner String Quartet, who favor warmth and intimacy. Owing to the Sturm und Drang nature of the op. 9, I think Diogenes takes the right tack.After a year of study with Ferdinand Hiller, Bruch wrote his String Quartet in C minor op. 9 (1859), which builds upon an earlier quartet that was recently discovered and recorded on  Brilliant Classics . Bruch asserts his stylistic allegiance to Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and Schumann in a work seething with passion and intensity. The Goldner String Quartet sees it differently however. The opening “Allegro ma non troppo” should erupt with fast scorching drama fit for C minor. Goldner instead emphasizes warmth, sensitivity, and restraint. Unlike Diogenes's taut 9:22, Goldner does take the repeat and thus finishes the movement at a leisurely 12:30.  Mannheimer Quartett  on CPO strikes a balance of drama and poise with their 11:08 timing. In the “Adagio” Goldner is certainly more intimate, but I don’t like their phrasing of the main theme; it lacks force and the twang of pain that is beautifully conveyed by the Diogenes. Likewise, the “Scherzo” in the Goldner’s hands is not nearly as manic or stormy as Diogenes. The finale exudes turbulence with loud sforzandi and throbbing repeated notes, which I think Diogenes plays with sweeping power; Goldner is too timid.The Piano Quintet in G minor (1896) is a significant and transfixing work of Brahmsian weight and exquisite mastery. Each movement is memorable. The opening “Allegro molto moderato” is packed with noble ideas, momentous modulations, and dramatic sweep through arpeggios and thick unison strings. Piers Lane is fit for purpose at every step, generating great sonorities and power. I suspect Goldner isn’t as fiery as they could be, but the music is so rich and compelling that it speaks for itself. Next is an “Adagio” of lyrical strength and gorgeous harmonies expressing longing and a seriousness of purpose. There’s an exciting but light “Scherzo” dominated by repeated notes in the strings with an entrancing and melodically-inspired trio. The “Finale” is hard-hitting and agitated with fast piano figures and driving rhythms. There is another recording of the quintet on  CPO , which has garnered rave reviews, but I haven’t heard it to offer comment.Although the 16 Swedish Dances (1892) were originally composed for violin and piano, they appear to have been recorded more often in their orchestral arrangement. These dances possess an obvious lineage with Brahms’s Hungarian Dances or Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances. There’s a variety of emotions and tempi on display: serious, tranquil, passionate, playful, lyrical, or triumphant. Several call for remarkable virtuosity or expressivity from the violinist, including double stops, wide leaps, trills, pizzicato, and decorative flourishes. The liner notes indicate that Joseph Joachim advised Bruch on the fingering and phrasing. Dene Olding (violin) maintains an unfaltering intonation and technique, supported by an equally polished and invigorated accompaniment by Lane.Bottom line: In spite of my reservations about the Goldner String Quartet, I was won over by the program itself, showcasing the magisterial piano quintet—recommended to all Brahms lovers—and the rarely heard Swedish Dances. As for the stormy C minor string quartet, Goldner is too calm for my taste;  Diogenes  delivers an intense and edgier performance.

... to reproduce; to create a balance that allows clarity and detail as well as individual and collective dynamic range and power is extremely hard" dice un crítico británico.Este álbum contiene el cuarteto en do menor op.9 descubierto en 2013 en la Mozart-Stiftung de Frankfurt, compuesto cuando Max Bruch (1838-1920) tenía 14 años y un ejemplo claro de estudio sobre el estilo de Mendelssohn, que aquí es interpretado por el Goldner String Quartet. El compositor ya en su madurez nunca manifestó un interés especial en el piano y este quinteto para piano y cuarteto de cuerda en sol menor (1896) parece haber sido escrito en Liverpool por encargo de un pianista amateur y su instrumentación es, consecuentemente, simple pero con gravitas brahmsiana (es decir, más en la onda de Brahms que en la de Mendelssohn) que aquí es interpretado por Piers Lane (piano Steinway) y el Goldner SQ. Bruch tenía el don de la melodía y la obra está cargada de melodías expresivas y sonoridades substanciosas y acariciantes; nada revolucionario, desde luego, pero muy agradable de escuchar. Complementa hasta los 77:40 minutos de duración las poco tocadas 16 Swedischen Tänze op. 63 (1892), originalmente compuestas para violín y piano (aquí, Dene Olding y Piers Lane) y modeladas siguiendos las Danzas Húngaras de Brahms, que recorren varios estados emotivos desde la seriedad tranquila hasta la agitación apasionada. Las lecturas de todas estas obras son muy precisas, hermosas y entusiastas. Este álbum fue grabado con gran clase y pericia en Febrero de 2015 en Potton Hall, Dunwich, Suffolk. Excelentes notas informativas de Tully Potter y bonita portada con un detalle de ‘Childhood, Wind and Waves’ (1914) de Guido Paul Richter (1859-1941).