Beethoven - Violin Sonata 9 'Kreutzer' [Vengerov/Markovich]

This is a great disc, bringing together the best Violin Sonatas by Brahms and Beethoven [or at least my favourites!], i think it's a great coupling, even though it's an unusual one, i count ten versions of this work in my disc collection, i must have listened to this work 120 times, and it still always amazes me, what a work of pure genius Beethoven has made here, i am actually quite shocked to find this disc has never featured in my Blog before!.

Maxim Vengerov is Russian, he's now 41, he recorded this disc in 1991 at the unbelievable age of 17, the front booklet photo [by Klaus Thumser], shows Vengerov in a tight head shot, almost a silhouette, and Vengerov busy with his violin, the lettering to the left is really good.

The whole of this work was superb, but i really loved the first movement, it's in the key of A Major, even though it certainly sounds like it's a Minor key work, the movement is Presto, but the intro is Adagio Sostenuto [0:00-1:32], the violin sounding screechy and out of tune [on purpose by Beethoven], the violin and piano take it in turns to set the tone, the movement only really gets going on the two minute mark [2:06+], and it's a mix of fast virtuoso music, and more slower lyrical stuff, Vengerov & Markovich really let fly after a few minutes [3:18-4:23], the intensity of their playing is tremendous, and Beethoven never lets up, the music is relentless, the difficulty of the fast passages [5:02-5:39], are compensated by the beauty of the lyrical passages, Beethoven loves these pizzicato moments from the violin, each new fast moment gets more intense [6:15-7:20], the interplay is fantastic [8:41-8:59], especially from the Pianist Markovich, the preciseness at times is really quite thrilling [10:22-11:01], there's anger aplenty between both players [11:36-12:47], it really is a tour de force, and even with the reflective coda at the end, Beethoven can't resist an angry flourish to end the movement on.

Here's Kremer & Argerich playing this Sonata on YouTube.

Dvorak - Piano Quintet 2 [The Gaudier Ensemble]

This is one of the very best discs that i own, i've probably played it about 25 times, but it's only featured in my Blog once before [21st May 2012], both works are truly gorgeous, and even though i'm writing about the Piano Quintet 2 here, the String Quintet on this disc ran it a very close second, the third movement Poco Andante is a real gem, there's real soothing spirituality there, the Piano Quintet has some of Dvorak's very best tunes, you would think that he would use them in a big important work, a Symphony or Concerto, but Dvorak sometimes reserves his best tunes for his intimate chamber music, i went out for a walk around my neighbourhood listening to this today, a very sweet experience.

The Gaudier Ensemble comes from a group of soloists to record and play chamber music for strings / wind, with piano, they have built up a small discography on the Hyperion label, they recorded this work in 1995, the front cover is a painting by Hans Thoma called 'The Rhine Near Sackingen'.

I so much loved the first three movements, and i suppose the opening movement was the best of all, it has some truly delicious tunes, it's start is a revelation, a gentle rippling piano accompaniment [Susan Tomes], with the cello [Christoph Marks] announcing one of Dvorak's most sublime and underrated tunes [0:00-0:30], but all this sharply comes to an end when the whole Quintet explode into action in an Allegro [0:30+], on one hand it's a shame that Dvorak didn't develop this theme further, but on the other the Allegro is an exciting moment, and certainly the first movement goes all over the place, fast and daring music interspersed with themes from the sublime opening theme, and this theme makes short [1:19-1:53], and that's Dvorak for you, mixing the zest with the smooth, and at times literally mixing the fast and slow themes [3:57-4:38] in a heady concoction, the Pianist Susan Tomes must be given a special mention, she is so sublime, her piano work is scintillating at times [4:38-5:21], she somehow just gets that 'tone' just right, there's a gorgeous reprise of the opening theme [6:53-7:14], now played by the whole Quintet in a glorious serenade, followed by some irresistible stuff by the five [7:27-7:37], Dvorak really packs it with so many good things, it's ten minutes of the highest quality music possible, and as a finale the Quintet throw the themes into one final fling [9:25+], and if that's not enough, there follows the inspired Dumka second movement!.

Here's the Quintet being played on YouTube.

Various Composers - 'Le Violon Vagabond' Violin Encores [Mourja/Gous]

This is an excellent Violin & Piano compilation, mainly for the fact it goes beyond the usual, into some strange territory at times, Mourja / Gous give us some excellent interpretations, i guess for some of these pieces, this probably represents the only disc that has them, plus this is a diverse disc as well, covering lots of different bases, Harmonia Mundi are an exciting innovative label.

Graf Mourja is Russian, this disc came out in 2002, the front cover painting is by Marc Chagall entitled Der Geigenspieler [The Fiddle Player], i like Chagall, his paintings have a dream / nightmare type of quality to them, on the back inlay, the tracks are organised into alphabetical order, rather than in number order, strange that!, so i rubbed on some red transfers to make things clearer.

On this listening tracks 1, 10 & 12 were the very best, and i would like to talk about these three,
1 Frolov / Piece Piece In The Blues Style [3:42] - Igor Frolov is Russian, composes very much in the style of Gershwin, with sighing and crying in the opening bars, and yet it shows you what can be done with the violin, which also includes pizzicato [1:07-1:15], getting stronger and stronger, and also the piano gets involved in some strong up and down the keyboard playing [2:12-2:33], a nice Bluesy piece.
10 Kroll / Banjo & Fiddle [2:45] - William Kroll was American, this is his celebrated piece, once you get to know it you'll fall in love with it, it's a lovely piece, as the title suggests, the violin uses pizzicato effects which mimic the banjo, it's only a short piece, but it's packed full of incident, starting with staccato twangings, and chop and changing with legato bowings, it's a beautiful idea, in the middle is a central section [0:50-1:52], which is much more lyrical, a waltzy serenade, with some brilliant playing, of course the exuberant opening returns [1:52+], to dazzle to the end, with high treble playing, and ending in some pizzicato twangs!.
12 Sarasate / Carmen Fantasy [13:04] - Pablo De Sarasate was Spanish, his Carmen Fantasy of course comes from themes from Bizet's Opera, a tour de force piece which goes all over the place, basically in six sections and a finale to end it off, it's the longest piece on the album by far, and really it has too many wonderful moments to speak of, section one is a brilliant Fantasia, full of flair and dance rhythms, i like the way the violin has a introductory pizzicato solo, followed by some very high tessitura treble whistlings [1:59-2:22], in section three there's sad treble cryings [4:34-4:57], and later a more complex version of the same [5:37-6:04], with some choice pizzicato at the end, the piece has a tendency to get more and more complex, and highly virtuosic at the end, by the ten minute mark the whole thing's starting to go out of control, furious bowing [10:37+], highly lyrical [11:31+], delving into squeaks almost [11:57+], berserk playing [12:29+], getting more and more frantic, it's bewildering, it must be a nightmare to learn!, but it's a dream to listen to!.

Mozart - Violin Sonata 25 [Steinberg/Uchida]

Wow what a lovely little disc this is, i bought this disc a couple of years ago, didn't think a lot of it, this is its third playing, but now i think this is one of the best Mozart Violin Sonata discs i own, i've played K377 before, but it's like 'where has this Sonata been hidden all my life?', it's a tremendous work, how come i've brushed over it before?, the opening phrases are a revelation here in the hands of Steinberg / Uchida, 

I think Mark Steinberg is American, don't know much else beside this, the booklet notes state that Steinberg / Uchida have been playing these pieces for the last 12 years, so not a quick get together to throw off a recording, this was recorded in 2004, the front cover is a black & white shot [by Ben Ealovega] showing Uchida in the foreground in focus, and Steinberg in the background out of focus, a really nice shot, the lettering is very complementary, incidentally Mozart named these 'Sonatas for Piano and Violin', and not Violin Sonatas [which is what i call them], whereas Beethoven called his 'Sonatas for Violin and Piano', is there a clue in the picture who the boss really is?.

Well like i said above, it was the first movement that was a revelation, it's less than 4 minutes long, but it really packs a punch, it's in the key of F major, the opening bars are such a joy to behold, the violin plays frantic bowing, while the piano plays a strong skippy little tune [0:00-0:13], bustling with happy joy, and then the two swap over, the violin plays the tune, and the piano plays the complex accompaniment [0:13-0:23], one of Mozart's loveliest inventions / starts, after a minute they repeat the opening again [1:06-1:27], and again what a joy to behold, the third time the tune it's now changed into a different key, possibly the Minor [2:10+], but it still sounds great, the movement comes to a sudden nice end, and yet i feel it's all over too soon, Mozart could have done so much more with this little Scherzo of a piece, why waste such a great tune and musical ideas on a 'trifle?', and yet i guess its shortness makes it all the more endearing, i need to really listen carefully to Mozart's other Violin Sonatas, Uchida and Steinberg produce some great music here.

Here's Mutter playing this Sonata on YouTube.

Schubert - Piano Quintet 'Trout' [Levine/Hetzel/Christ/ Faust/Posch]

This work gets played modestly in my player, i think i used to play it more, i guess it's somewhat slipped off the radar a bit, i still love this though, but there always seems more and more stuff to play these days, that's the downside of having a huge successful variety of music to play, something ends up getting played less, the main / favourite version is Schiff / Hagen on DG, but this is a nice little alternative version.

James Levine is an American Conductor, but also appears on a few recordings as a Pianist, this work was recorded in 1990, the front cover painting is by James Marsh, i don't usually like paintings / artwork as front covers, but this is a good one.

It was both the first and fourth movements that i really enjoyed, the fourth is an ingenious set of variations, and where the work gets its name, but i guess i'd like to talk about the first movement, here's my feelings on it, the whole thing is cast in the unusual form of five movements, the first is roughly twice as long as any of the others, it may start off slow and tentative in the introduction, but before the first minute's out, it comes to life, a lively skippy tune, the work is in the sunny key of A Major, the piano plays cascades of notes [3:17+], and the string players reply with more frantic playing, there are moments where the opening returns, and the whole thing unfolds again, it's certainly fun and enjoyable, and those frantic cascades of notes return [7:30+], after this there's some sort of reflective middle section, maybe in a minor key, but this fairly quickly livens up, and in volume too [9:30+], but of course the original flourishes aren't far away, it shows how much of an accomplished Pianist Levine is.

Here's the Trout Quintet being played on YouTube.

Beethoven - Violin Sonata 9 'Kreutzer' [Kubota/Kuyumjian]

This is only the second time i've played this disc, and already it's developing into a real little treasure, Kubota is nice and passionate, as good as others i've heard, maybe she makes the violin 'scream' a bit in louder passages, but she really gets into the music, this is a Japanese issue, i found this on Ebay, discs like this are almost impossible to get in the West, there's a treasure trove of stuff just waiting to be discovered.

Takumi Kubota is Japanese, she recorded this disc in 1996, so already almost twenty years old, not something recent, the front booklet cover is a marvel [by Tai Tsutomu], it's a truly glorious upper body shot of Kubota playing her violin, the most gorgeous light from the left, and clear precise focus, i like the lettering too, this is how booklet photos should be done!.

The first two movements were magic, i think the middle movement variations just pip it, endless inventiveness, here's a synopsis with all the variations,
Theme [0:00-2:58] - The theme is a fairly lazy affair, first introduced by the piano, and the piano and violin keep taking it in turns presenting this simple theme, Kubota / Kuyumjian present it a little slow, but very nobly.
Variation 1 [2:59-5:18] The first variation is a little imp, darting here and there, mainly lopsided piano, with odd notes by the violin, i love Kuyumjian's piano work here, he gets the rhythm right, the genius of Beethoven shines through.
Variation 2 [5:18-7:29] Now it's time for the violin to shine, and the piano to drip drop notes here and there, it's a little disjointed on purpose, 
Variation 3 [7:30-10:31] Almost an intermezzo break, a bit of a lament. 
Variation 4 [10:32-13:30] The violin starts to use pizzicato here, and both Kubota and Kuyumjian are on their toes, i think the violin and piano try to imitate each other at certain points, it's a dazzling variation, and even within it has lots of variety.
Variation 5 [13:29-16:] What sounds like some sort of coda or epilogue at first, branches out into a meditative fifth variation [14:16+], trills on the violin, there's a sort of finality to the whole thing [14:45+], piano and violin are in contemplative mood.

Here's Joshua Bell and Yuja Wang playing this movement on YouTube.

Beethoven - Piano Trio 7 'Archduke' [Trio Fontenay]

This is a really fantastic set of the Beethoven Piano trios, ditching a few of the pieces that haven't got opus numbers, it's all squeezed onto three discs, i must admit that the three early Trios [Opus 1/1-3] are fairly quaint, no great shakes here, and it's only really in 5 & 7 that you truly feel that they can be called masterpieces, Beethoven's Archduke Trio is one of the very greatest Chamber music works to ever be written, the first time i ever heard its noble themes [Kempff / Szeryng / Fournier on DG], i was stunned by the sheer universal and 'orchestralness' of the work, Beethoven here saves some of his most sublime melodies not for a great Symphony or Concerto, but for the humble Piano Trio, it's a testament to the genius of Beethoven, that he doesn't need a Choral Symphony with vast forces to speak to mankind, he can do it just as well through three people, this work stunned me again today.

The Trio Fontenay are from Germany, they were active in the years 1980-2006, and they recorded this work in 1992, now i love the front picture [by Klaus Thumser], a low shot of the trio with their instruments, the blue sky really does something, very well lighted, and the lettering is a treat.

All of the four movements were a real treat, especially 1 & 3, and it's this third movement variations which was absolutely spiritual it was so good, Beethoven has this ability to build this movement up and up, to the point you forget about music, and just bask in perfection,
Theme [0:00-1:54] - It starts with the most sublime and gorgeous theme on the piano, a Cantabile that the violin and cello both join in on, there's a feeling that time stands still here.
Variation 1 [1:54-3:21] - The piano plays a slightly more complex accompaniment, while the cello and piano take it in turns to play the melody, the Pianist really develops an intensity here.
Variation 2 [3:21-4:44] - Both the violin and cello start to throw around the theme in a fun staccato way, but there's still an underlying sadness to the variation.
Variation 3 [4:44-6:08] - The piano gets more complex, and louder in places, and both the violin and cello join together as a duo in just keeping a sort of beat, the piano really does stretch its legs with virtuosity.
Variation 4 [6:08-8:15] - The fourth variation has some of the most tender music in it, all the players contribute equally, and Beethoven ekes out the most his chosen melody, the violin really starts to throw the aching sadness card into the mix [6:43-7:15], and it develops this fantastic otherworldliness.
Variation 5 [8:15-11:19] - A funny mix of a variation, the piano gets really serious, and then later i lose my way, the music seems to change key and turn into a serenade [9:28+] it's so beautiful, the violin and cello are heartbreaking [10:08+], i guess there's a sort of coda in there [10:50+], it contains some of the most endearing music Beethoven ever penned.

Here's the Trio Fontenay on YouTube, playing a sampling of the the second movement.

Brahms - String Quartet 1 [Melos String Quartet]

This is a lovely triple box set of the Brahms and Schumann String Quartets, though i certainly don't think that the Schumann Quartets are the equal of the Brahms, and only in that sense do i feel this is a bit of a mismatch, it would have been better to issue the Brahms on two discs with the Piano Quintet instead, however i must also admit that i'm warming to the Schumann works, Brahms's First is a revelation, fantastic stuff, and yet he agonized over it for a decade, constantly unsatisfied with it, the shadow of Beethoven hung over him, roughly twenty String Quartets went into the fire from the self critical Brahms, this performance appeared early on in my Blog [13th March 2010].

The Melos String Quartet are from Germany, they were together for forty years [1965-2005], and ended when their first Violinist died, they recorded these discs in 1986 and 1987, the front cover is excellent [by Susesch Bayat], the Quartet with their instruments in cases, standing in the archway of some ornate doors, the lettering nicely placed, and for once the large yellow logo dispensed with and given a minor role.

Ever since i really got into this String Quartet, it's always been the first movement that's really affected me each time, so surprise here that it's the second movement that i felt the most affinity towards, marked Romanze, Poco Adagio, it's the only movement in the Major [A Flat Major], there's a real sweetness to it, i can't help feeling that the opening tune would be something Haydn would write, the delicious melody played by i believe the cello [0:04-0:25], is then repeated to great effect [0:29-0:50], all the strings play different threads, but it sounds so good together, although it's in a major key, there's a wistful melancholy there too, the second subject is more darker [1:42+], but still with an underlying sweetness, it's lovely to hear the cello come back in with the opening motif [3:37+], the movement is over too soon, maybe Brahms should have had some sort of trio section in the middle, i'm glad i experienced this today, it's beautiful.

Here's the New Orford String Quartets playing the second movement on YouTube.

Tchaikovsky - Piano Trio [Chung Piano Trio]

Very surprisingly this is the first time i've ever listened to this disc, i've had it kicking around for quite a while, not quite sure if i should keep it and listen to it, or i should sell it, so i took the plunge, and i'm so glad i did, my first exposure to this work was from a tape with Rubinstein playing, yes it was old, and Rubinstein bangs the keys for all he's worth, quite dramatic, Myung-Whun Chung is more softer and subdued, and this goes for the whole Trio, their approach is thoughtful and measured, but still ardour and passion when needed, Tchaikovsky's Piano Trio is thin on the ground for recordings in my collection [only five!], and none of them are played extensively, i've probably listened to this work no more than twenty times, but each time i hear it, i marvel at the profundity of Tchaikovsky in creating a masterpiece. 

The Chung Piano Trio are South Korean, they're an unstable unit i guess, coming together to perform / record, but all three have separate careers to follow, and it's like a part time job i guess, they recorded this disc in 1988, the front booklet cover shows the three siblings somewhat out of focus, with a black background / clothing, all four corners of the booklet are used up in the lettering / logo, with lettering horizontal and vertical, i really like the result, the red logo gives it a dash of colour, white lettering on a black background really stands out, just like this Blog!.

Well it's those variations that always get to me, and even though i like them almost equally, here i enjoyed variations 6-9 the most, there's a certain intensity the music develops, each variation 'eggs' the other on as it were, that's why i get into variations in 'clumps', here's a synopsis of these variations,
6 Tempo Di Valse [5:07-7:33] - The music changes into a beautiful Waltz, full of lovely legato, at first fuelled by the cello, but the violin soon joins in, the music becomes impassioned [5:55+], but soon returns to opening, i feel swept up in this variation, and the passion returns [7:12+].
7 Allegro Moderato [7:34-8:46] - A hard hitting variation by the piano, the keys are banged away, while the violin whoops away in the background.
8 Fuga - Allegro Moderato [8:46-11:21] - The fugue is complex, each instrument taking a line following each other, this was a variation 'rewritten' by Taneyev, who suggested changes to this work, the music reaches some sort of conclusion, where all the instruments join together in unison [10:34+].
9 Andante Flebile Ma Non Tanto [11:22-14:07] - In complete contrast comes an truly sad Andante, Flebile = feeble, the piano has a hypnotic rippling figure to it, while the violin and cello have a dialogue of sadness, the music changes to a happier Major key for the ending [13:30+]. 

Here's the Chung Piano Trio playing these variations on YouTube.

Various Composers - 'Andante Cantabile' Cello Encores [Harrell/ Canino]

Not sure why this is called 'Andante Cantabile', i think it's a Tchaikovsky piece from his String Quartet 1, transcribed for cello and orchestra, but it's nowhere to be seen here, well i enjoyed these 22 short encore pieces today, it's a great little programme, with some out of the way pieces on it, this is my third time listening to this disc, though it's the first time it's appeared in my Blog.

Lynn Harrell is American, he's now 71, this disc was recorded back in 1988, the cover photo is by Christian Steiner, very well done, a beautiful portrait with cello, and the lettering is equally nice.

So of all these pieces, it was 1, 3-5, 7-8, 11-13, 15 & 17 that i loved the best, that's a lot of music to mention, loved the transcriptions of the French pieces, but ultimately i would like to pick one i would like to talk about, and that's 'An Die Musik' by Schubert, of course the piano plays the piano line, and the cello plays the vocal line, it's a beautiful tune, and if you know the words they're touching, it's in two stanzas, and the second is played more delicate than the first by the cello [1:16+], and at the end Harrell ekes out an extra ounce of pathos [2:00], the piano solo at the end of each verse is a real highlight [1:02-1:15 & 2:12-2:31], where Schubert has the piano making the most incredible pleas, a little masterpiece, each of the other short pieces is a little marvel also.

Here's Varoujan Bartikian playing 'An Die Musik' on YouTube.

Beethoven - String Quartet 15 [Quartetto Italiano]

Surprisingly, this is the very first time i have listened to this set, the Quartetto Italiano have been around for yonks, and i've enjoyed their set of Beethoven's Middle Quartets for nearly a decade, but i must admit i'm a latecomer to the Late Quartets of Beethoven, they really just don't jive with me, am i missing something here?, they sound like a step back from the Middle Quartets, not a step forward, and Beethoven seems to split the regular four movement model up into a fragmented 'suite' of movements at times, what's he up to?, but listening to this set over the last few days, i have a new appreciation for these late works, i'm beginning to understand, i think?.

The Quartetto Italiano were formed in 1955, and disbanded in 1980, their legacy has been immense, and they've influenced a whole host of other String Quartets, the booklet shows the Quartet in some ancient Church possibly [by Arje Plas], almost monotone, except for the browns of their instruments, and the red of the logo / lettering, it's a set that's increasingly becoming expensive to obtain in this original four disc incarnation.

It was the String Quartet 15 that i warmed to the most, though not without a feeling that some of the movements seem to be poor alongside others, the opening movement i felt was weak, a mixed bag really, but the glorious centre of the Quartet is the middle movement, at nearly 20 minutes here, it's huge, and if you sort of add the last two movements together, well there's your four movement model i guess!.

Here's my feelings on this central 'Canzona Di Ringraziamento' / 'Sentendo Nuova Forza' = 'Song Of Thanksgiving' / 'Feeling New Strength', it's a beautiful and solemn song, almost like a plainchant, but with strings instead of voices, very well sustained by the Italiano's, rising almost out of nothing to begin with, when the first 'Sentendo Nuova Forza' comes in [4:11+], it's such a powerful statement of sweetness and joy!, it's a movement that could so easily have stood on its own, it alternates between long passages of the 'Canzona' and the 'Forza', in the second 'Sentendo Nuova Forza' [10:17+], it takes things into a higher realm of joy, the music swells more than usual, and the third 'Canzona' gets more passionate towards its end, i feel i'm always left hanging waiting for a third beautiful 'Forza' to come in and create the perfect closure, but it never appears, there's some truly 'spiritual' music in there, the following short movement almost seems like a silly blasphemy by its side, the sacred and the profane, still don't understand how Beethoven put them in the same Quartet!, but that's the prerogative of the master for you!.

Here's the Escher String Quartet playing the third movement on YouTube.

Brahms - Violin Sonata 2 [Mullova/ Anderszewski]

I must easily have a dozen complete Brahms Violin Sonatas in my collection, and on the whole each one is another 'revealing' of these endlessly fascinating creations, Mullova is probably a midway point in my favourites, and i must admit i haven't listened to this disc since 2012 [8th June 2012], but it was so good to give this a spin today.

Viktoria Mullova is Russian, she's now 55, the front cover of the booklet is nice, two separate shots [by Brigitte Lacombe] and fused together i guess, Anderszeski wearing dark / black, and Mullova wearing white / light, is there a musical theme here?.

I would say the Second Sonata to only just be my favourite of the three, it's the first one i heard, and of course loved the structure of the piece, especially the middle movement, consisting of slow and fast episodes, it's also the shortest of the three, i also find that Mullova / Anderszewski are pretty swift, they don't hang about, and looking at the timings for my favourite half a dozen interpretations, with the timing for the whole Sonata, and then the timing for the second movement, from fastest to slowest, this is what i get,

Mullova / Anderszwski - 18:27 / 5:45
Chung / Frankl - 19:43 / 6:07

Belkin / Dalberto - 20:16 / 6:22

Znaider / Bronfman - 19:57 / 6:35

Perlman / Ashkenazy - 20:23 / 6:42

Frank / Serkin - 19:37 / 6:45

what i 'feel' i can now 'see' in the stats, Mullova is almost two minutes faster than Perlman, and a minute faster in the second movement than Frank, i also find that there's a tendency for Anderszewski to be cast into the background / shade, while Mullova is in the foreground / spotlight [another manifestation of the black & white theory?], also Anderszewski can be warm / passionate, while Mullova can be icy / precise, that's not to say she doesn't have warmth / passion in her playing, the part i like the best is the middle fast / slow coupling [2:05-4:35], the last part of the Andante gets so beautifully passionate and intense [3:02-3:33], Mullova finds a powerful sweetness here, the following Vivace Di Piu becomes a pizzicato masterclass, juxtaposing between bowing and plucking [3:43+], after an Andante / Coda of sorts, there's a final pizzicato bravura flourish to end on [5:34-5:44].

Here's Mutter / Orkis playing the second movement on YouTube.

Faure - Piano Trio [Beaux Arts Trio]

What an unashamedly little gem Faure's Piano Trio is!, i remember well the day i 'discovered' it, on a walk to Church [17th February 2013], there the first movement truly impressed me, Faure has an underrated way with Chamber music, makes me want to check out his String Quartet too.

The Beaux Arts Trio were active for 53 years, they split up in 2008, this disc was recorded in 1988, the front cover of the booklet shows a superb photograph [by Christian Steiner], a portrait of the trio showing all three instruments, the dark background adds to the highlighting of the faces, look at the lovely browns of that cello!.

So like i said, it was the first movement Allegro that really wowed me, the Piano Trio was a late work for Faure, composed in 1923, maybe a couple of years before he died, and that late Autumn of his life has a feel for the same in this work, Faure got more away from 'nice tunes', and more into the ethereal 'feel' of things, which can be witnessed in his solo piano music, that's not to say that there's a lack of tunes to this work, but i find it hard to whistle late Faure, it sticks in the memory, but i think Faure was mastering the use of rhythms and structure more, there's some great architecture in his music, the first movement is Allegro, but then added 'ma non troppo' = but not too [fast], and that's a key notation, it just wouldn't work if A Trio just zoomed through the piece, there needs to be poise too, i love the way the piano has this superb rippling effect throughout the beginning, while the violin / cello play the melody, and when the piano gets to play a tune itself, it's a stunning little number [1:01-1:21], there's some individual notes that are off the usual highway, and it's these singular notes that really make Faure what he is, there's one early on [1:03], now that's truly inspired, love the way the instruments weave and overlap each other, but basically it's a dialogue between piano and strings, as the movement progresses it has a tendency to get more louder and complex, and it end i guess on a sort of forte.

Here's the Beaux Arts Trio playing the first movement on YouTube.

Ravel - String Quartet [Carmina String Quartet]

It's great to revisit this disc again, the last time i played it was in 2013, i delved into the Carmina Quartet when they won an award for their Szymanowski String Quartets, and that disc is superb, so it's good to find this is up to standard also, it's got a lovely front booklet cover, i well shot photo, with a blue theme, this disc appeared in my Blog early in its incarnation [27th January 2010].

The Carmina String Quartet are still going strong, now clocking up their 30 year anniversary, they are from Switzerland, they recorded this disc in 1992 on the Denon label.

So the best thing about this performance was the second movement assez vif, tres rythme = fairly lively, very rhythmic, and it's certainly the rhythmic bit which is very fitting, lots of pizzicato involved, love the way Ravel starts this movement, with a pizzicato quartet [0:00-0:15], very satisfying indeed, but even when the bowing comes in, there's always some instrument still playing pizzicato, and Ravel uses the power of each instrument to give different string effects, a treble twang from the violins, and a deep bass from the cello, there's a serene middle section of mainly bowing [1:51-4:48], and even within this middle section there's a couple of more sour and searching little episodes [3:28-3:45 & 4:08-4:26], i just love the lead back to the opening [4:46-5:10], it's such a tease!, and even within this passage, there's a great little rhythmic run by i believe the viola [4:56+], and the movement ends on a staggered last loud pizzicato!

Here's the Hagen String Quartet playing the second movement on YouTube.

Beethoven - String Quartet 7 'Razumovsky' [Melos String Quartet]

Surprisingly i haven't played these discs much, they're still newish in my collection, but others i've played to death, especially the Lindsay String Quartet, and to a lesser degree the Vermeer String Quartet, i really recommend both, but the Melos have their way as well, i really enjoy their Ravel / Debussy Quartets, and these discs are growing on me.

The Melos String Quartet, where active for 40 years [1965-2005], a German String Quartet, one of the things i notice about the Melos Quartet, is that they don't hang around much, especially in slow movements, and this can be quite a drawback, Beethoven has some of the loveliest, even 'spiritual' slow movements that you could wish for, but you need to give them time to cast their spells, something missing here, especially the slow movement of Quartet 8, which if played right [thinking of the Vermeers here] can transport you to another world.

So i really loved the first three movements, my favourite movement is the first, but on this listen i found the second really interesting, the 'sempre scherzando' means 'always playful', it helps to give a feel as to what Beethoven is trying to say, it sounds a serious statement, here's a sort of breakdown of its highlights,
It alternates between legato lyrical and staccato rhythmic, i can hear the playfulness in there, but definitely not 'always', there's these outbursts at the end of sections which are loud and forceful, at times it can work up into a heady menace [3:27-3:45], the powerful motor rhythms are quite spectacular [5:46-5:57], and it always alternates between sweet and sour, it's a real tour de force of a movement, it's ending is quite ingenious, and quite startling, almost out of nowhere the end appears, a bit of a false pizzicato ending [8:19], and then a final outburst [8:23-8:30].

Here's the Belcea String Quartet playing the second movement on YouTube.

Schubert - String Quartet 14 'Death And The Maiden' [Tokyo String Quartet]

Ah this disc is getting played a lot in my Blog, this is its fourth outing [5th January 2010 / 4th July 2011 / 10th July 2012], not entirely sure which is my favourite interpretation, probably the Lindsay String Quartet comes close, and the Tokyo Quartet seem sweeter than others, i'm really impressed with their Beethoven Op18 set, it's also good to have an early String Quartet on this disc as a companion.

The Tokyo String Quartet of course originate from Japan, they decided to retire the Quartet, and are now officially inactive, it's been 44 years as a unit, and we have so many documents of recordings from them, they will live on in our disc players.

Every time i play this disc, it always seems to come back to the 'nerve center' of this work, the second movement theme and variations which i always love, one of Schubert's greatest inventions ever, five variations that couldn't be more diametrically opposite, here's a 
Theme [0:00-2:14] - A slow and solemn / sad dirge of a theme, at first very sparse and quiet, but you can hear the underlining theme of death lurking beneath, a straightforward transcription of the Schubert song of the same name.
Variation One [2:16-4:14] - A more complex an interesting variation, different strings give different voices, seemingly sweet, and yet there's a sourness there, the first violin dominates this variation, the others are either a gently chugging rhythm, or a gentle pizzicato.
Variation Two [4:16-6:31] - Now the Cello becomes the soloist, while the others swirl this background vortex, each variation seems to get more darker and despondent, and yet the whole thing is still beautiful.
Variation Three [6:32-8:22] - Now we hit the real anger of the piece, a whooping and wailing from the strings, this is my favourite variation, the second repeat of the variation finds a real greater intensity.
Variation Four [8:23-11:05] - And now for a real innocent sweetness, almost a parody considering the subject matter is death!.
Variation Five [11:05-12:52] - The underlying feeling of anxiety comes back, and turns into a louder outburst and complaint, but then returns to its quiet acceptance.
Coda / Finale [12:52-14:06] - The coda / finale slows things down to a simple pleading, and the peaceful dying in deaths arms.

Here's the Takacs String Quartet playing the second movement on YouTube.

Schubert - Violin Fantasie D934 [Koh/ Uchida] 

A nice disc, with some interesting things on it, the gist of this disc is Fantaisie / Phantasy / Fantasy, starting off in early 1800, and finishing 200 years later, quite a varied journey, plus each piece gets shorter and shorter, i'm pretty well versed in Schubert's late String Quartets / Piano Trios / Piano Quintet / String Quintet, but the Violin & Piano works i'm certainly less familiar with, so it was good to listen to this disc, and familiarise myself with one of his other chamber works.

Jennifer Koh is American, she's now 36, she made this recording in 2003, the front booklet cover is fantastic, showing Koh sitting in a doorway, a nicely ornate door as a background, and the doorposts nicely frame the picture, Koh is in a great pose, violin in hand, and the low level shot creates a great perspective as the doorframe seems to rise above Koh, the lettering is great too, a nice list of the works on the door, and i just love the free lettering of the title, and the light green colour is inspired too.

Schubert's Fantasie D934 lasts nearly 25 minutes, cast in one big movement, and yet it's built up of different sections, the opening is the most gorgeous [0:00-2:58], starting with the most inspired rippling piano, it sets the scene for the whole piece, while the violin plays more longer and singing lines, just listen to the way the piano warbles its way up the keyboard [0:55+], and strays into some great areas / ideas in the treble, delicious trills follow later [1:38+], and this opening three minutes is so superb, it's a shame that the rest of the piece can't sustain this level of invention, but it's still superb, there's a six minute freewheeling dance episode next, and then Schubert uses one of his Lieder tunes as a theme [8:40+], with a bunch of variations on this theme afterwards, each one taking some aspect of the original theme, as this is only my first ever listen, these variations haven't had time to really penetrate into my heart, the third variation is one of quite strong virtuosity [14:56-17:19], both violin and piano challenging each other, it's hard to know where these variations end, and Schubert delves into some sort grandiose conclusion, there's certainly a major statement of intent after what seems to be a restatement of the theme [20:01-22:55], i guess a finale of sorts, it's very good, and then Schubert throws a spanner in the works by giving a fifth variation before a short final ending, yes i admit it seems somewhat to be all over the place, but i think this is the whole point, there's some great stuff in there, certainly not Schubert at his very best, but if you're patient and observant, then you can squeeze the goodness out of this piece.

Here's Andrej Bielow playing the Fantasie on YouTube.

Schubert - Arpeggione Sonata [Stoltzman/Ax] 

Another disc that is new-ish to my collection, this is only the second time i've played it, consisting of two less heard clarinet works [ok the Schubert is a 'transcription'], but it's good to widen my clarinet repertoire discs, i love the clarinet, and i'm surprised it isn't given greater prominence in the Classical world [or even the Jazz world], it has a fantastic range, and a fantastic sound, how come there aren't more Clarinet Concertos around?, both of these pieces are in the three movement sonata form, and lasting 20-25 minutes in length, another work could have been accommodated on the disc, but it's just great to hear the clarinet as a 'solo' instrument.

Richard Stoltzman is American, he's now unbelievably 70 years old, of course the disc comes from back in 1983 when he was 41, the photographs are excellent, the front cover shows Stoltzman / Ax seated at the piano, a very dark picture, all of the lettering is at an angle, the quality of the photograph isn't immensely high, the skin tones come out very orange, and the whole thing isn't quite in focus, but it's still a great front cover.

Various Composers - Violin Encores 'Sicilienne' [Kang/Back] 

I bought this for a huge price on Ebay [probably £25], but then just recently i saw another copy on Ebay, and it went for next to nothing!, that's the way the cookie crumbles, however this copy is signed in Korean by the Artist, sideways, opposite to the lettering, the track listing is not the greatest, it misses out on some very nice Encore pieces [Bazzini - Dance Of The Goblins / Paganini - Cantabile / Dinicu - Hora Staccato / Gluck - Dance Of The Blessed Spirits / Kroll - Banjo And Fiddle], and instead gives us some weaker pieces that are off the beaten track, but at least it gives a fresh offering of a recital.

Dong-Suk Kang is South Korean, he is now 58, and he recorded this disc in 1997, the booklet portrait is excellent [photo by Sei Hon Cho], a close up of Kang with violin in hand, nice black & white shot, crisp and clear, the red band on the left contains the Artist name sideways in silver, plus room enough for a personalised signature, it works out a perfect combination, visually well balanced.

Here's David Oistrakh playing Kreisler's Liebesleid on YouTube.