Alfred SCHNITTKE (1934-1998)
Quintet, for piano, 2 violins, viola and cello (1972-76) [24:35]
Quartet (Allegro), for piano, violin, viola and cello (1988) [7:35]
Trio, for piano, violin and cello (1985/1992) [25:51]
*Music for piano and chamber orchestra (Piano Concerto no.2) (1964) [14:27]
Maria Lettberg (piano); Ewa Kupiec (piano) (Quintet); Members of the Petersen
Quartet (Conrad Muck (violin); Daniel Bell (violin); Friedemann Weigle (viola);
Henry Varema (cello)); *Members of the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin/Frank
Strobel
rec. Studio Gärtnerstrasse 12, Berlin, 12-13 August 2008, 23-25 February
2009; *Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin, 17-18 April 2008. DDD
CRYSTAL CLASSICS N 67083 [72:38]
Schnittke's chamber music is fairly well serviced by recordings these days.
In particular, there are many fine specimens of the Piano Quintet. Nonetheless,
such is the quality of his music that it is always worth making room for more,
and this piano-based quartet of recordings from the German label Crystal Classics
is well worth consideration.
Schnittke is well known for his so-called polystylism, but the salient aspects
of these works for most listeners will be their general atonality and sombre
mien. The despairing, almost creepy Quintet was written in memory of Schnittke's
deceased mother. The one-movement Quartet is based on a Mahler fragment, but
is predominantly turbulent and gloomy - by this time Schnittke had survived
a coma, but only just. Stark, dark dissonance punctuates the Piano Trio too,
repeatedly thwarting intermittent driving rhythms, with just a glimmer of
hope appearing in the violin part in the final minutes. Happier times evidently
prevailed for Schnittke when he was writing the Music for piano and chamber
orchestra, even in Moscow. This is one of the more approachable atonal chamber
works to emerge from eastern Europe in the 1960s. The composer even throws
in a bit of jazz, but overall the modernist element is unsurprisingly at its
strongest here.
Polish pianist and Chopin specialist Ewa Kupiec has a hugely impressive discography
to her name, and she is captivating in the Quintet. But that is not to take
anything away from Swedish soloist Maria Lettberg, who is just as compelling.
Her 8-CD boxed set of Skriabin's solo piano music on Capriccio just a few
years back is essential listening for lovers of piano music, and a bargain
too - see review.
Mention should also be made of her impressive Melartin
set. Praise is due too for the Petersen Quartet members, especially first
violin Conrad Muck, whose name may not travel well but whose virtuosity and
delicacy certainly do.
Kupiec, Lettberg, Strobel and the RSOB recorded three of Schnittke's Piano
'Concertos' for Phoenix Edition - see review.
That disc did not include the 'Concerto' on this CD, which Crystal have labelled
"no.2" - strictly speaking correct, following the early Piano Concerto proper
of 1960. Phoenix, on the other hand, had their own "no.2", the Concerto for
piano and strings of 1979, completely ignoring the one in this programme.
The remaining work, the third or fourth according to counting system, is the
Concerto for piano four hands and chamber orchestra, dating from 1988.
Despite the name, Crystal's sound recordings are not always 'crystal' clear,
but these ones are generally very good, although the studio recordings may
be to closely miked for some tastes. The German-English-French notes are fairly
detailed and well written, although, as is often the case, the English translation
has been done by a non-native speaker, leaving them with a marked German accent:
'concert' for 'concerto', 'three-metre' for 'triple meter/time', 'spooky-soft'
for 'soft, spooky' and so on.
Byzantion
Collected reviews and contact at reviews.gramma.co.uk
Schnittke is well known for his so-called polystylism but the salient aspects
here are atonality and a sombre mien.