I
hadn’t heard much of Ries’s music before this CD. His father,
Franz, had been Beethoven’s violin teacher, and Ferdinand was
sent to study piano under Beethoven in Vienna. At Beethoven’s
suggestion, he also studied composition with Beethoven’s teacher
Albrechtsberger. Ferdinand Ries and Beethoven remained friends
for the duration of Beethoven’s life. He went to England in
1813, where he remained for eleven years, before returning to
retire to Germany in 1824, where these flute quartets were written.
Revived
through research by this CD’s flute player, John Herrick Littlefield,
these three quartets are varied in character. The Quartet
No. 1 in C major has a distinctly classical feel, with quotes
from Mozart. Beethoven’s influence can also be keenly felt,
especially in the third movement, Scherzo and Trio. The
finale, Allegro all’espagnola, is full of Spanish character
and demonstrates the more fun-filled side of Ries’s personality.
Littlefield handles the technical passages well, despite occasional
lapses in the clarity of articulation.
The
E minor Quartet begins with a grandiose opening, followed by
virtuosic semiquaver displays. This is handled well by all the
performers, with evenness and security of technique. The balance
is good and John Herrick Littlefield’s sound soars over the
strings. The strings match each other well in conversational
passages and the intonation is good. The Andante is expressive
and played with sensitivity and delicate phrasing. There is
a charming moment in the Trio section of the Menuet
and Trio [Track 7, 1:39] which once again gives away a light-hearted
view of the composer. The players control this change of character
well, and their sound is full of charm.
The
final quartet follows on seamlessly from the previous one, as
it is in the dominant, and feels almost as if this group of
three were intended to be heard as a set. There are some minor
string intonation issues here, but this brief moment is followed
by some fine playing from the violin and viola. The Allegro
is played with passion and building tensions; this is very
much composed in the Romantic style one would expect from the
dates of the composer (1784-1838). Following a stylishly performed
Adagio, the final movement is a cheerful Allegro,
providing a rousing and entertaining ending to the set of quartets.
Overall,
the playing is generally good; Littlefield and his colleagues
clearly have and understanding and enjoyment of the music. Despite
a few scrappy moments, the sense of ensemble is good, and one
gets the impression that these players have worked together
for a number of years. The recording quality is good, with each
line clearly defined, though I would perhaps have liked the
cello to have been brought out more in the balance. The music
is enjoyable to listen to; while perhaps not of the same quality
of Beethoven, these pieces make an interesting addition to the
concert repertoire.
Carla Rees
John Herrick Littlefield (flute), Aaron Boyd (violin), Ah Ling Neu
(viola), Yari Bond (cello)
