Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
String Quartets - Volume 1: ‘Prussian’ Quartets
Quartet No. 21 in D major, K575 (1789)
Quartet No. 22 in B flat major, K589 (1790)
Quartet No. 23 in F major, K590 (1790)
Doric String Quartet
rec. 2020, Potton Hall, Dunwich, UK
CHANDOS CHAN20249(2) [2 CDs: 90]
For me Quartet 21 is the most cohesive, delightful and inviting. It begins quite reverently: sotto voce with a broad arched, opening tune from the first violin over murmuring quavers in the second, immediately mocked by a short, playful descending phrase in two sequences from first violin and viola, repeated with the viola having the melody and both violins the mockery, all brightly and daintily done by the Dorics, all crisp articulation and clarity of sound. The second theme (CD1, tr. 1, 0:33) presents a lighter, suave transformation of the mockery, then more assertive opening out of the end of the first theme. The third theme (0:58), begun dolce by the cello, is a motif from the repeat of the first theme extended with chromatic emotion, then heard in more penetrating register from the second violin, next with more longing from the viola, before an insistent high register, celebratory take by first violin. This is the most considered theme. The Dorics’ smooth legato presentation and the way all players in turn make it their distinctive property is admirable. The first theme’s mockery returns, quiet and resolving charmingly, then loud with a dramatic outburst from first violin Alex Redington fittingly makes a climactic display soon contrasted with a beautifully soft, high musing response to the second violin’s recalled start of the first theme.
The development introduces a fourth theme (4:55), seeming a lovely new willowy melody for first violin, actually a chaste modification of the expanded first theme. Though without dynamic marking, Redington’s sotto voce seems entirely appropriate. The return of the mockery is briefly (from 5:08) in four demisemiquavers rather than three triplet quavers, making it both wispier and more mordant; but the return to semiquavers in triplets (5:17) leads to more robust, jocular treatment and recapitulation in which the chameleon mocking phrase has become more roundedly playful and benign. The recap of the third theme (6:42), a fourth higher than originally and begun by the second violin rather than cello, makes it more ethereal, while the ambivalent rising and falling at the end of the exposition changes to the fulfilment of a buoyant D major rising scale.
I compare the 2015 recording by the Engegård Quartet (review). Timing at 7:07 to the Dorics’ 8:01, the Engegårds’ Allegretto is faster, with more edge but less dynamic contrast: their pleasantly soft sotto voce opening lacks the Dorics’ magic. The Engegårds grab your attention in dramatic presentation where the Dorics give you a more savoured, distilled appreciation of stylish sensibility.
Warm and sunny, the Andante slow movement also begins sotto voce, the Dorics both delicate and trimly contained in line as gradually more intricate detail emerges. The second theme (tr. 2, 1:07) opens out with a flowering of soaring song, begun by the first violin, then moving in turn to cello, second violin and viola and every Doric soloist revealing individual character as ornamentation increases. A third theme, introduced by first violin (1:57) is a sweetly skipping rounding off and transition to the more reflective first theme recapitulation by the cello. But a dolce first violin contribution (3:34), repeated by cello, is the real recap. This gem of a movement couldn’t be played any more exquisitely than the Dorics do. Again, the Engegårds are faster, timing at 3:41 against the Dorics’ 4:22, lacking the Dorics’ delicacy and true sotto voce. Nevertheless, their fuller recorded sound has great warmth and their playing is con amore.
The Allegretto Minuet and Trio has surprises. Its soft opening ensures the fp phrase endings are a shock and what is generally assured is clouded by two soft pairs of sighs (tr. 3, 0:16), then two louder ones in the second part of the first strain. The second strain (0:58) is considerably spikier, with more fps now a contrast from predominantly loud material. The Dorics present this all with delicious finesse while its latent subversion, more Scherzo than Minuet, is still apparent. The easy-going Trio seems at first a touch too self-effacing by the Dorics, but the cello melody emerges very suitably and John Myerscough adds some stylish ornamentation in the repeat. Again, the Engegårds are faster, timing at 4:55 against the Dorics’ 5:18. This is arguably advantageous for the Minuet with crisper, more dance like presentation, the fps more spirited than shocking; but the sighs and dynamic contrasts are less telling. From the outset the Engegårds’ Trio is a more engagingly neat little dance and the firmness of the cellist’s ardour is ever present.
The Allegretto finale picks up the threads of the entire work. Its first theme, started softly by the violins and repeated loud by everyone, is rounded and assured with the steady flow of summation. The second theme (tr. 4, 0:30) is of lighter probing by the first violin followed by a sf headed descent in the cello that recalls the contrasts of the first movement, save the descent here is merry rather than impetuous and quickly dovetailed by all the others, with the final entry on first violin dazzling with rising and falling arcs of movement. The first theme then returns more contemplative in a sweet, high register, like a halo. This is replaced by lively yet more urbane descents in the first violin, now of quavers in triplets followed by rising and falling material this time from second violin and viola before first violin.
The third theme (1:31) is another of those soft, willowy ones (cf. first movement, fourth theme). The first theme return (1:54) comes with notably more resourceful counterpoint whether in the violins’ presentation or full quartet repeat. This is the development where the second theme descents are now tetchy, the first violin’s probing changes mode to the minor and Redington adds to the effect of insecurity with a poignant portamento (2:35). Not until the assurance of the third theme recap (4:09) do we feel easier, and better still come the first violin’s recap of the first theme in heavenly upper register (4:30), then the cello’s (4:54) beneath dainty filigree work by the upper instruments. Memorable in the coda (5:23) is the chromaticism that brings a feeling of yearning and nostalgia before the affirmative close.
With the Engegårds’ faster Allegretto, timing at 5:31 to the Dorics’ 6:19, you get a livelier, rather bucolic feel to the finale, jollier celebration than the Dorics’ visionary elements. The Engegårds’ third theme is lissom but less special, their coda cheery yet its chromatic infusion still clear.
Best of the rest? For me, the slow movements. Quartet 22 has the lovelier. A Larghetto, again a sotto voce opening with a cello solo arioso to warm, ambling quavers’ accompaniment by the second violin, then the first violin with the solo. A subsidiary theme (tr. 6. 1:27) is just a phrase of descending semiquavers in the viola, like leaves gently falling, capped by punctuation from the others; but when taken up by first violin there’s soaring too. It gets first a second theme of utter contentment (2:14). The subsidiary theme is put to the test (4:43), rescued by a piercing sword manner from the second theme (5:26), affirming the idyllic contours are protected by power and discipline. The Dorics leave you in no doubt of the steel in judiciously glancing revelation without damage to the overall bliss.
The slow movement of Quartet 23 has just one tune, cunningly aerated by syncopation, a sort of rogue ground-bass. Its first statement comes quietly and genially in all four instruments. Statement 2 (CD2, tr. 2, 0:24) has the first violin breaking away in gracious, accompanying counterpoint in largely flowing semiquavers. In statement 3 (0:45) all the instruments have these as soloists in turn from cello to first violin. In statement 4 (1:05), first violin and cello have the accompaniment, the inner parts the melody with a new, freer ending bringing a heady feel. Statement 5 (1:26) restores the calm of all instruments together, except the lower two shadow the upper two at three quaver beats delay, sudden fortes and dissonances are thrown in and the first violin indulges in sweet, rising arpeggios, then chains of somersaulting descents to close the exposition. The Dorics relish all this in benign equanimity.
Statement 6 (4:07), the development, puts the theme in minor mode, making the semiquaver ascents and descents woven around it rather spooky, but C major order is comfortingly restored with statement 7 (4:52), including delicious filigree decoration from viola, then cello. In statement 8 (5:14) this decoration comes more generously in the outer parts. In statement 9 (5:35) the melody, crowned by first violin in upper register, becomes more serene and its semiquaver accompaniment more joyous. Higher register recapitulation is also found in statement 10 (6:00), compare statement 4 and statement 11 (6:20), compare statement 5. In the coda (9:50) a start with a saturnine fringe quickly warms and the journey of all in rising semiquavers reaches sweetly to the stars. Everything here is enjoyable, in two CDs for the price of one.
Michael Greenhalgh
