Sir Charles Villiers STANFORD (1852-1924)
Piano Quintet in D minor, Op 25 (1887) [39:16]
Fantasy in A minor (for Horn Quintet) (1922) [10:20]
Fantasy No 2 in F major (for Clarinet Quintet) (1922) [14:43]
Nikolaus Resa (piano)
Members of the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin
rec. February 2017, Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin (Quintet), June 2018, Haus des
Rundfunks, Berlin.
CAPRICCIO C5381 [64:22]
I’m somewhat intrigued to find the cause of Stanford’s chamber music being taken up by a group of Berlin-based musicians. From the artist biographies in the booklet there’s nothing obvious to suggest that any of them has a connection to Britain or Ireland. That, however, is of little consequence. What matters is that it’s great to find Stanford’s cause being embraced in Germany to such excellent effect.
All three works have been recorded before. The Piano Quintet was recorded for Hyperion in 2004 (review) and the same label issued a 2003 recording of the Horn Fantasy (review). We are indebted to Naxos for a 2006 recording of the Clarinet Fantasy (review). In passing, it’s a mild disappointment that Christoph Korn and his colleagues didn’t also include the First Clarinet Fantasy on their CD; there would have been room, as it only plays for about 12 minutes.
There’s a great deal to commend this CD but, sadly, the documentation is not one of them. In Capriccio’s booklet, Gerhard Persché devotes almost all his note to a short general discussion of Stanford’s career. The note includes the statement that “To the extent that Stanford is thought of as a composer, he is best known for his seven symphonies”. Really? The most unfortunate aspect of the notes, however, is that the only mention of the three works on the disc comes in a single sentence towards the very end of the note. Given that some people buying this disc may well be unfamiliar with the music, more discussion of the works themselves would have been helpful. As it is, Persché’s sole comment on any of the pieces is his description of the Quintet as “charmingly homely and nostalgic”; that’s certainly not what I hear in this music or, indeed, in the performance of it by Nikolaus Resa and his colleagues.
Stanford completed his Piano Quintet in 1886 and he himself was the pianist in the first performance, given in Cambridge in June of that year. This I learned from Jeremy Dibble’s magisterial biography of the composer, Charles Villiers Stanford. Man and Musician (2002). He also mentions that it was dedicated – as were several of Stanford’s chamber works – to Joseph Joachim. Dibble records that the work made a strong impression at the time and quickly achieved several further performances. I’m not surprised, because it’s an impressive composition.
There are four movements, the first of which is the longest. The marking is interesting: Allegro moderato ma agitato. This suggests something that is rather far removed from anything homely or nostalgic, and so it proves. To be sure, there are several lyrical episodes, but much of the music is purposeful and strongly profiled. Jeremy Dibble suggests that the outer movements of Stanford’s work take their cue from Brahms’ Op 34 Piano Quintet in F minor and I think that’s a good comparison. The music is well laid out with all five instruments making important contributions to the discourse. Stanford handles his material confidently, with a strong sense of where he is heading. The rhythms of the scherzo suggest a jig. I was fascinated to see that Jeremy Dibble describes the music as “demonic”, commenting that it “rarely raises a smile”. I must confess that I heard the music as somewhat lighter in tone than he does, though it’s certainly not care-free. It never ceases to fascinate me that people can hear music differently but I readily acknowledge that he will be much more familiar with the music than I am.
The slow movement, Adagio espressivo, is very impressive. It begins in tranquillity, the music warm and gently lyrical. There’s a more impassioned, dramatic central passage before Stanford returns to the glowing mood with which he began. Thereafter, with the exception of one short, vigorous interruption, the mood is reflective and very satisfying. I noted earlier that Jeremy Dibble makes a Brahmsian connection with the two outer movements but this slow movement also puts me in mind of the German master. The finale is marked Allegro risoluto and it’s that resolute character that I hear in both Stanford’s music and in the present performance. This movement is very positive and outgoing; the performers inject the necessary energy into their music-making, not least in the closing pages.
This is a highly assured performance of Stanford’s Quintet. The performers are very obviously engaged and I very much enjoyed hearing them in this fine work.
The two Fantasies are very late works. Stanford’s First Fantasy for Clarinet and String Quartet (not included here) was finished in October 1921 and its successor dates from January 1922. The Horn Fantasy followed in June 1922. Stanford was short of money in his final years and wrote quite a lot of music specifically with an eye to publication, though in that respect he was often disappointed. The three Fantasies were among the works unpublished by the time of his death. In his biography of Stanford Jeremy Dibble wonders if these three pieces were intended for performances by students at the Royal College of Music but he was unable to find any evidence that any of the works were performed prior to Thea King’s recordings of the two Clarinet Fantasies in 1992.
Both of these Fantasies are attractive works, though not matching the stature of the Piano Quintet. In the horn piece, the golden toned horn of Dániel Ember is a refreshing addition to the textures. Initially, Stanford makes the horn a fully integrated part of the ensemble but as the piece develops the horn becomes increasingly prominent. In the clarinet work the instrument’s agility is exploited initially in fluid, flowing music. Later on, in the central section, the clarinet’s mellow cantabile capabilities are employed to excellent effect.
This is an enjoyable and rewarding CD. The performances, which are presented in good sound, are extremely accomplished and I hope that this CD will help to widen the reach of Stanford’s music beyond the British Isles. As I indicated earlier, it’s heartening to see young musicians from Berlin embracing these works and performing them with such skill and commitment. I wonder if they might be tempted to investigate more chamber music by Stanford – or, indeed, by Parry.
John Quinn
Performers
Dániel Ember (horn); Christoph Korn (clarinet); Anne Feltz & Brigitte Draganov (violins); Alejandro Regueira Caumel (viola); Georg Boge (cello)
