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Site review by Polly Nomial March 28, 2006
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Performance: Sonics (S/MC): / |
These piano quartets are all masterpieces of Brahms, ranging from the G minor Op.25 to the C minor Op.60, and were the first major contribution to this combination since Schumann's work. The G minor is perhaps the best known of the three, largely due to a fantastic theme in the finale and also the orchestration that Schoenberg made (making it Brahms' zeroth symphony!) Here it receives a very good performance, with the Beaux Arts Trio and Walter Trampler finding a nice balance between the stormy undercurrents and the lyrical interludes in the first movement. Some performers (like Gilels and the Amadeus Quartet) make the work into a symphonic-like edifice but here, even in the rippling arpeggiated octave figuration, the BAT & Trampler remember that this is a chamber work whilst bringing out all the details in the musical lines. The Intermezzo has mysterious fragmentary musical themes that the BAT & Trampler mould into a cohesive unity that is very impressive indeed; such is their unanimity of approach, one would not know that this was not a regular piano quartet. The Andante con moto is then given a flowing tempo that serves to highlight the singing melody that opens this movement before dark shadows creep in from the piano. Many ensembles start the Rondo alla Zingarese too fast, leaving little room for increasing excitement. The BAT & Trampler do not fall into this trap and it allows the music to seem more in keeping with the preceding movements rather than a "tacked on" ending that it can become.
The remainder of the first disc is completed by the third quartet (the second being nearly 50 minutes in length!) which is a much more stormy affair than even the G minor quartet. Again, tempi are well nigh perfect, lending a cohesive quality to the music but one that keeps the chamber-music qualities of the writing to the fore. This music is so bipolar that it makes one worry about Brahms' state of mind whilst he was composing this and what little respite there is, the storm clouds are never far from the horizon. The neurotic energy reaches climax in the scherzo and the hemiola effects are perfectly realised with only small fragments of release from the incessant pace and a false sounding major ending. The Andante then gives each of the string players a chance to shine in the melodic delights that Brahms offers us - at last there is some lasting emotional respite. The finale has a disturbed undercurrent that quickly manifests itself in the turbulence from the opening movements, before resolving into an unsettled mainly major coda. Throughout the BAT and Trampler realise these moods very well and in some cases made me re-think how I viewed the music.
One the second disc the second quartet is of a completely different frame of Brahms’ mind which is a welcome relief from the first and third quartets. The pacing, in common with the other quartets, is well-nigh perfect and the strings play with real ardour and beauty in the second movement. This is romantic passion not stormy passion as evidenced in the other quartets. The third movement is a quicksilver affair in the hands of the BAT and Trampler – I wish that more pianists had Pressler’s sensitivity at such speeds and the finale almost dances away and gives me a real lift to the spirit when played with such easy vigour. The end comes too quickly in this work despite its 50 minutes of length.
One slight reservation that I have is that the piano sounds slightly damped in tone quality - whether this was because the lid was down or a characteristic of the piano itself I do not know but the other instruments are unaffected so it is unlikely that the recording itself is to blame. This apart, the recording is very fine (especially for one from 1973) and the piano is exceptionally well balanced against the strings. The Quadraphonic aspect gives wonderful air to the sound and it is very pleasing to listen to overall.
Highly recommended to Brahms lovers and also to fans of the Beaux Arts Trio in what I think was their finest combination, with Pressler at his peak. This issue makes me hope that other BAT records were made in quadraphonic…
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Copyright © 2006 John Broggio and SA-CD.net
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Review by seth March 23, 2006 (4 of 6 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics (S): |
Brahms' First Piano Quartet is one of the all-time great pieces of chamber music, up there with Schubert's "Trout" Quintet and Mendelssohn's Octet. Each movement is filled with memorable themes and colorful interplay between the instruments to the point that the movements can stand on their own, none more so than the final movement. As a result, competition is pretty stiff as every great pianist has teamed up with a string quartet to record the work (but in this case it's viola and piano trio). It's hard to find any fault with the thoughtful interpretation or playing, but my personal preference lies more to Perahia and the Amadeus Quartet's ruthless precision. As for the two other quartets, I am not that familiar with them, but found the performances to be engaging, and I have enjoyed getting to know the pieces better.
I had high expectations for the recorded sound and cannot help but feel a little letdown. Despite these being new DSD transfers struck from the master tapes, when compared to other analog and digital recordings of the quartets, there simply seems to be a layer of detail missing. Further problematic, is that the instruments, especially the piano, have a *slight* dullness to them. Besides that, the sound is spacious, with a good dynamic range, and almost no tape hiss.
SACD or not, this is a fairly strong set of the Brahms Piano Quartets; I suspect the value will be greatly enhanced for multi-channel listeners. Recommended.
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