Gabriel FAURÉ (1845-1924)
Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 15 (1876/79, rev. 1883) [31.22]
Alfred SCHNITTKE (1934-1998)
Piano Quartet in A minor (1988) [6.44]
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25 (1861) [39.52]
Berlin Piano Quartet
rec. 2015, Kleiner Sendesaal des RBB Berlin, Germany
RCA RED SEAL 88875175552 [78:22]
On its web page the Berlin Piano Quartet states a desire to
perform rarely played repertoire and this new album does confirm that intention
up to a point. What we have are two mid-to-late nineteenth century piano quartets
from Brahms and Fauré, both repertoire staples, plus the rarity a single movement
work by Schnittke written less than thirty years ago and lasting just under
seven minutes.
Fauré wrote the first of his pair of piano quartets around the time his fiancé
broke off their engagement. The C minor Quartet was introduced in
1880 at a Société Nationale de Musique concert at the Salle Pleyel, Paris
with the composer substantially revising the score in 1883 including totally
rewriting the Finale. It is often said that the composer reflected
his emotional distress in the Adagio movement. Vehemently uplifting,
the opening Allegro molto moderato contains joyous playing from the
Berlin Piano Quartet maintaining a touch of elegance. Outstanding too is the
aching sadness conveyed in the heartfelt Adagio which contains a
particular intimate quality. For recordings of this enchanting C minor
score, first place goes to the award winning 1985 Rosslyn Hill Chapel account
from Domus for its distinguished playing of real integrity on Hyperion.
Schnittke wrote his Piano Quartet in A minor in 1988 based on a Scherzo
fragment from an incomplete Piano Quartet by the teenage Mahler.
Predominately unruly and agitated the complexities of Schnittke’s polystylic
approach to the writing with steely dark dissonances makes this a challenging
listen in a work that ends with a quotation from Mahler’s score.
Completed by Brahms in 1861 the Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor was
premièred that same year in Hamburg with Clara Schumann at the piano. In 1862,
Brahms made his Vienna debut as a composer and pianist with this work to great
acclaim. It is an unqualified masterwork which has remained a perennial favourite
of audiences. Only last week I attended a performance of it in the Schoenberg
orchestration by the RLPO under Jacek Kaspszyk. Standing out in this performance
by the Berlin Piano Quartet is the warm and richly lyrical opening movement.
I also relished the Scherzo wistful on the surface with a rather
spectral undertow. There are more thrilling performances available of the
captivating Finale: Rondo alla Zingarese, however striking
is the overall exuberance of the playing. Of the competing accounts probably
the best known is from Martha Argerich, Gidon Kremer, Yuri Bashmet and Mischa
Maisky who came together in 2002 at Teldex Studio, Berlin. The starry line-up
don’t disappoint with truly inspired chamber playing on Deutsche Grammophon.
Another masterly account, radiantly performed with stylish expression comes
from the quartet of Nicholas Angelich, Renaud Capuçon, Gérard Caussé and Gautier
Capuçon recorded in 2007 at Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI, Lugano on Erato. This
release is the outstanding choice for all three of Brahms’s Piano
Quartets.
Founded in 2014 the Berlin Piano Quartet comprises of three strings from the
Berliner Philharmoniker together with French pianist Kim Barbier. One does
sense a particular understanding between the players with its notably expressive
and often thrilling playing. Perhaps not surprising for a quartet which doesn’t
play together all the time there are occasional lapses in ensemble and also
string intonation is not always flawless. No problem at all with Barbier’s
rounded piano tone which sounds excellent. Recorded at Kleiner Sendesaal des
RBB Berlin the engineers have achieved reasonable results especially the balance
between piano and strings yet ideally I wanted a touch more focused sound.
With its wish to explore neglected repertoire the Berlin Piano Quartet might
want to turn its attention to an outstanding group of English works namely
Frank Bridge’s highly praised Phantasie Piano Quartet in F sharp
minor (1910), Arthur Bliss Piano Quartet in A minor (1915) and
Herbert Howells Piano Quartet in A minor (1916).
Michael Cookson
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