It’s a shame that my review isn’t in time for this year’s Records
of the Year because without question this is an outstanding
box set, fully deserving of that accolade. I write that objectively,
even as I must acknowledge a potential conflict of interests
given that I am thanked in the booklet notes. My help was limited
to reading Tully Potter’s booklet notes pre-publication and
supplying photographs and CD-r copies of some of the 78s that
may have been used in this box to augment the majority of the
performances, which are live recitals from the Library of Congress
in Washington, DC.
I’ve written about the LSQ before, so you may want to look at
those reviews, to flesh out some biographical detail: César
Franck quartet, Beethoven’s
Op.132 and Schubert, and the Schubert
Quintet.
It’s difficult to overstate the importance of these 1943-50
live Library of Congress recordings. They are the only examples
of the London String Quartet live in concert in existence. Not
only that, but they capture the group in different formations,
in rare repertoire, in good sound, and in truly magnificent
performances. Some critics have expressed a very slightly lukewarm
attitude to the group, despite the fact that it was one of the
most famous around, and despite the fact that, along with the
Flonzaley, it was, in its time, the most famous group active
in America. I think no one could vouchsafe a lukewarm reaction
after hearing these magnificently controlled and hugely communicative,
tonally vibrant readings.
These eight discs are priced as six and are intelligently distributed
amongst the set. Each recital has, where possible, its own disc,
which retains the original programming concept, and allows one
to hear the quartet ‘on the wing’. I shall keep my comments
and superlatives to a minimum, as I know that ploughing through
acres of text is not always an advantage where a more succinct
approach is preferable. That said, extensive comment is necessary
from time to time.
The first disc begins, where the concerts are concerned, at
the beginning – December 1943. The LSQ line up was John Pennington,
Laurent Halleux (of the old Pro Arte Quartet), William Primrose
and ever-present Warwick Evans, the man who kept the quartet
going from its establishment in 1908 until the very end. Primrose
only made one recording in the studio with the quartet he had
joined in 1930 – Beethoven’s Op.132 - though oddly his name
doesn’t appear in the personnel in that 78 album; Waldo Warner
had by then retired but his name still featured. Force of habit,
maybe. This first disc features Beethoven’s C major Op.59 No.3
and the Brahms B flat major Op.67. I think these are fully the
equal – though very different from – the kind of performances
that the Budapest Quartet was giving at the same hall at the
same time. The tonal blend is splendid, the inner voices vital
and alive, and the playing evokes strength and pathos at well
chosen tempi.
The other work given was Debussy’s Quartet, which offers a thoroughly
plausible alternative to French quartets; quicker than the Calvet,
less manic than the Bouillon, more tonally alive than the timbrally
retrogressive but musically fascinating Capet. It’s especially
good to hear Primrose here, but all four perform beautifully,
not least in the slow movement. Five years later they were recorded
in Haydn’s Op.76 No.2 quartet. They had recorded Haydn in London
so were no strangers to it, though never seem to have performed
too many of the quartets. The C major sees Cecil Bonvalot replace
Primrose. Bonvalot had been an old chamber colleague of Pennington
and was an experienced musician who fitted in well. The Haydn
is dashingly done, and is followed by the first of the studio
recordings that appear. This was, appropriately, Haydn’s Emperor
Quartet, Op.76 No.3, thus forming a good opus bond with
the previous work. It was recorded for Columbia in London acoustically
in December 1924, and it’s been vividly transferred. The line-up
than was James Levey, Thomas Petre, Harry Waldo Warner and Warwick
Evans.
Disc three starts with Schumann’s A major quartet, possibly
reminding us that back in the early 20s they’d recorded, abridged,
Schumann’s Piano Quintet, for Vocalion. This February 1947 performance
shows Pennington as an outstanding first violin, leading with
dash and sufficient warmth. Unisons are sumptuous and the pious
slow movement is well realised, where we can appreciate Bonvalot’s
contribution. Toch’s Quartet No.12 follows. I’m convinced that
Evans must have known Toch from the cellist’s time in Hollywood
film studios but, irrespective of that, this quartet was dedicated
to the LSQ. They even recorded it for Alco, and I hope someone
will transfer that major commercial undertaking as soon as possible.
In the meantime we can hear the recital version, intensely vibrated,
the drifting harmonies deftly understood; as authentic a performance
as you could hope to find. Beethoven’s Op.95 quartet finishes
this disc and we shouldn’t be surprised. The LSQ travelled widely
and gave a series of all-Beethoven concerts over several days
in many major cities. Their stance was uncompromising. This
particular example of their art is dramatic, and meditative,
and wholly admirable.
Talking earlier of the Flonzaley quartet may possibly remind
readers that they recorded Dohnányi’s Second Quartet in 1927.
Amazingly this November 1948 live LSQ performance differs from
that old 78 set by seconds in each movement. The apex of the
LSQ performance comes in the beautifully sustained slow finale
in which they vest all their timbral shading and sense of legato.
From the same concert comes an outstanding performance of Beethoven‘s
Op.132. They had recorded this with Primrose, as noted, but
this live version is better still, with an expressive and much
more long-breathed slow movement. Bonvalot is now the violist.
It’s an exemplary performance in every way.
From 27 January 1950 comes another trio of works – Schubert’s
A minor D804, Bloch’s Five Pieces for String Quartet, and Ravel’s
Quartet. Once more the LSQ show their reportorial versatility
in this selection. Their studio Schubert recordings were invariably
good, often outstanding, but again this live recording is better
still, wholly committed and communicative playing. One associates
Bloch with the group that replaced the LSQ as Britain’s leading
quartet, the Griller. But before that younger quartet began
their association with Bloch, the LSQ had performed his music
and, as here, with considerable success. The Ravel was a work
the old LSQ, led by Albert Sammons, had recorded bits from –
snippets from selected movements. Here we have the real thing,
a vivid and agile performance, full of fancy and strength, comparable
once again, as with the Debussy, to the best French groups.
For their March 1951 concert – this time the line up was Pennington,
Halleux, Edgardo Acosta and Evans – they chose Mozart’s K465
Quartet to start, an amiable, ably done opener. They then followed
it with a work that Evans certainly knew well because he’d premiered
it with the group many years before – the Biscay Quartet
(No.6 in A major) of John McEwen. McEwen had dedicated works
to the LSQ and to their erstwhile leader Sammons, so it’s especially
good to hear this refreshing and lovely performance. McEwen
had died just a few years before. They finished with the heavyweight
Brahms A minor Op.51 No,2 in which string weight was increased
and the work presented with great strength.
This represents the end of the Library of Congress sequence.
Disc 7 starts with Franck’s Quartet, one of the LSQ calling
cards. It’s about the best recording there is on 78, and this
big work is marshalled with huge concentration and sympathy.
It’s hard to convey how good a performance it is. It’s already
been transferred on St. Laurent Studio, and the link above will
take you to my review. It’s followed by Vaughan Williams’s On
Wenlock Edge, recorded in 1917, presumably to present an
example of the group with their original first violin, Albert
Sammons. The tenor is Gervase Elwes, the pianist Frederick B.
Kiddle. This classic performance was for many years the only
LSQ 78 to have received LP and then CD transfer. It’s also available
on Opal (Pearl) and on a Cheyne set dedicated to Elwes’s recordings.
The final disc starts with a vibrant 1927 Schubert Quartettsatz
and moves onto the Vocalion abridged Elgar Quartet made
in 1921, two years after the work’s premiere. That premiere
performance of course had included Sammons, who had moved on
to be replaced by James Levey. I have at home a treasured portrait
photograph signed by Sammons to his old friend and admired colleague,
Levey. This performance sounds pretty well in Lani Spahr’s excellent
restoration. It shows what you can do with Vocalions if you
know what you’re doing. Next is the classic 1925 recording of
Frank Bridge’s Three Idylls, followed by his arrangement
of the Londonderry Air – the recording on two 78 sides,
made in November 1925 three weeks after the Idylls. There’s
a single movement from the abridged recording they left of Kreisler’s
Quartet. They gave the public première, in Kreisler’s presence,
in May 1921 and the record followed soon after, so although
it’s presented only as a torso, it has historical resonance.
We end with charm – the Stephen Foster ‘Melodies’ 10” album
they recorded for American Decca in Los Angeles in 1946. This
is a beauty, not to be spurned, with charming, spicy arrangements
of imperishable songs.
As for the booklet there is a full track listing with accurate
dating in all respects. Potter’s article is largely a revision
of one that has already been published in a specialist magazine
but it takes stock of the Library of Congress material in way
that other article couldn’t. It also revises some opinions.
It makes for engrossing reading. Lani Spahr has done some splendid
re-mastering work. I know, having heard it, that the original
source for the Debussy, for example, had a bad scratch during
much of the slow movement. He has done an excellent job masking
the fact.
No complaints? Well, it’s a shame that the very first photograph
is mis-captioned. The man standing is not second violinist Tommy
Petre, it’s actually Edwin Virgo who was one of the violinists
to replace Petre during the latter’s war service.
But no other complaints really. For quartet admirers this is
an indispensable set, revealing the greatest British ensemble
of the first half of the twentieth century in all its assurance,
dedication, technical and musical accomplishment. Was it really
that good? Yes it was.
Jonathan Woolf
Track listing
CD 1
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Quartet No. 9 in C, Op. 59 No. 3 [29:03].
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Quartet No. 3 in B flat, Op. 67 [32:21]
rec. Library of Congress, Washington DC, 4/12/1943
CD 2
Claude DEBUSSY (1860-1918)
Quartet in G, Op. 10 [24:21]
rec. Library of Congress, Washington DC, 4/12/1943
Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809)
Quartet in D, Op. 76 No.2 [17:32]
rec. Library of Congress, Washington DC 5/11/1943
Quartet in C, Op. 76 No.3 [24:29]
rec. on L1633/35, 15-17/12/1924, Columbia Studios, London.
CD 3
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Quartet in A, Op. 41 No.3 [28:01]
Ernst TOCH (1887-1964)
Quartet No. 12 in F, Op.70 [25:11]
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Quartet No. 11 in F, Op. 95 [22:15]
rec. Library of Congress, Washington DC, 21/2/1947
CD 4
Ernst von DOHNÁNYI (1877-1960)
Quartet No. 2 in D flat, Op. 15 [25:12]
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Quartet No. 15 in A, Op. 132 [42:32]
rec. Library of Congress, Washington DC, 5/11/1948
CD 5.
Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Quartet No. 13 in A, D. 804 [27:30]
Ernest BLOCH (1880-1959)
Five Pieces for String Quartet (1923-25) [15:25]
Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937)
Quartet in F [25:30]
rec. Library of Congress, Washington DC, 27/1/1950
CD 6
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Quartet No. 19 in C, K. 465 "Dissonance" [26:11].
John McEWEN (1868-1948)
Quartet No. 6 in A, Biscay [16:44].
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Quartet No. 2 in A, Op.51 No. 2 [29:57]
rec. Library of Congress, Washington DC, 2/3/1951
CD 7
César FRANCK (1822-1890)
Quartet in D [44:50]
rec. Columbia 67697/02D, 11/1928
Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958)
On Wenlock Edge [18:08]
Gervase Elwes (tenor); Frederick B. Kiddle (piano).
rec. Columbia 7363/65, 1917
CD 8
Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Quartet No. 12 in C, Quartettsatz D. 703 [7:55]
rec.. L1679R, 4/11/1927, Columbia. Studios, London.
Edward ELGAR (1857-1934)
Quartet in E, Op. 83 (abridged) [11:04]
rec. . D 02026/27; 1921, Vocalion studios, London.
Frank BRIDGE (1879-1941)
Three Idylls [13:35]
rec. L1704/05 3/11/1925, Columbia studios, London.
An Irish Melody: Londonderry Air [7:53]
Col. L1716 17/11/1925, Col. London.
Fritz KREISLER (1875-1962)
Finale from Quartet in A [4:07]
rec. D 02027 1921, Vocalion studios, London.
Stephen FOSTER (1826-64)
Melodies [23:11]
London String Quartet 
