RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Samuel BARBER (1910-1981)
Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 (1936) [7:23]
Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896)
String Quintet in F major WAB 112 (arrangement for string orchestra by Michael Erxleben) (1878/9) [42:53]
Konzerthaus Kammerorchester Berlin
rec. 25 June, 2015 (Barber); 13 November, 2014; Konzerthaus, Berlin.
CUGATE CLASSICS CGC013-2 SACD [50:26]
This is a real lollipop of a recital – and in no sense
do I mean that disparagingly. It is rather short measure but showcases two
exquisite compositions for strings presented in phenomenally rich, deep sound.
The Barber piece serves as a perfect hors d’œuvre to the
main course of a new arrangement of Bruckner’s String Quintet for string
orchestra by Michael Erxleben, one of the concertmasters of the Berlin chamber
orchestra featured here. I have not previously encountered this music thus
arranged, but the Adagio by Fritz Oeser has long been used as a stand-alone
concert item for chamber orchestra in at least four recordings I could find,
and an arrangement of the complete quintet for string orchestra by Hans Stadlmair,
issued on the Bayer label and played by the Württembergischer Kammerorchester
Heilbronn conducted by Ruben Gazarian, was very well received by Gramophone.
I can also recommend two highly desirable recordings of the quintet in its
original form from the Raphael Ensemble, which I reviewed
in June 2011, and another I reviewed
in October last year as a Recording of the Month by violist James Boyd and
the Fitzwilliam Quartet from Linn. There is no reason why the dedicated Brucknerian
will not want this masterwork in both the original and arranged versions as
they obviously provide rather different, but equally rewarding experiences.
The notes aptly quote a bon mot from the Austrian poet Franz Grillparzer that
“Music described is like a narrated lunch” and there is little
to say about the execution of both works here beyond the fact that I find
it flawless. The Barber is taken rather more briskly than classic accounts
by Bernstein with the Los Angeles PO but it suffers from no lack of profundity
and rather gains in drama from the added propulsion. I have no reference point
for comparison of the arrangement of the Bruckner work beyond my knowledge
of the original string quintet recordings but I thoroughly enjoy the textural
lusciousness afforded by the increased body of strings which increasingly
puts me in mind of later works such as Verklärte Nacht. Tempos, balance
between sections and variety of colour seem to me all to be ideal; this is
undoubtedly one of the most beautiful discs of its kind to come my way in
quite some time.
Ralph Moore
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