George Enescu (1881-1955)
Impressions d’enfance
Piano Quintet in D major, Op 29 (1896)
Aubade in C major, for violin, viola and cello (1899)
Sérénade lointaine, for violin, cello and piano (1903)
Hommage – Pièce sur le nom de Fauré, for piano (1922)
Impressions d’enfance, suite for violin and piano, Op 28 (1940)
Ensemble Raro
rec. 2019/21, Studio 2, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Munich
SOLO MUSICA SM396 [59]
In the recording studio Ensemble Raro led by Alexander Sitkovetsky has been in sterling form for the Solo Musica label. My ‘Record of the Year’ for 2017 was the Ensemble Raro album
Being Earnest comprising of Dohnányi’s Piano Quintet No 2 and Piano Sextet. The following year Ensemble Raro released
Rhapsodie Roumaine an outstanding album of chamber works by Enescu and Bartók featuring the former’s Violin Sonata No 3, Op 25. Now Ensemble Raro follow up those successes with ‘Impressions d’enfance’ (Childhood Impressions), a new album devoted solely to the music of Enescu. Spanning forty-four years, the five works range from the fifteen-year-old Enescu’s piano quintet to his suite ‘Impressions d’enfance’ for violin and piano, a product of his sixtieth year.
A child prodigy, Enescu entered the Vienna Conservatory in 1888 and graduated in 1893 aged just twelve. In 1895, he progressed to the Paris Conservatoire, a pupil of Jules Massenet and Gabriel Fauré, where in 1896 he wrote his Piano Quintet in D major. Like many of his early scores, the
D major was influenced by the chamber works of Brahms whom he had met in Vienna. Incidentally some forty-four years later Enescu wrote another Piano Quintet in A minor, Op 29 circa 1940.
According to musicologist Barry Cooper, by 1895 “Enescu was already a thorough master of the art of composition” and it shows in the D major Quintet, as its firm structural base is overlayed with a sense of youthful ardour and vigour. Here, Ensemble Raro is joined by violinist Anna-Liisa Bezrodny producing an opening movement Allegro moderato of an entirely resolute and squally character. Unerringly Romantic, the Scherzo is fresh and lithe, reminding me strongly of the Scherzo from the Brahms Piano Quintet in F minor (1864). Next comes the warm and open-hearted Andante that must surely portray memories of a love affair. Ensemble Raro clearly relish the fierily urgent Finale infused with gypsy-like rhythms to bring the work to an exuberant conclusion. In 1898 Enescu’s first orchestral work the Poème Roumain, Op 1 became a roaring success. Soon after, Enescu completed his short, single movement Aubade in C major scored for string trio of violin, viola and cello. Said to evoke a scene of lovers parting, the highly melodic Aubade is beautifully played by Ensemble Raro who bring out the attractive folk-dance themes and rhythms very successfully.
Great praise followed for Enescu in 1903 with the premieres of his two Romanian Rhapsodies for orchestra, Op 11 and also his First Suite for Orchestra, Op 9. His confidence must have been boosted when the same year he wrote his Sérénade lointaine (Distant Serenade), a short, single-movement piano trio. Dedicated to the King and Queen of Romania, the Sérénade was thought lost and only unearthed as recently as 2004. Enescu’s tutor Fauré is a notable influence in this elegant and intimate work that in the expert hands of Ensemble Raro soothes like balm. In 1922, Enescu wrote Hommage – Pièce sur le nom de Fauré for solo piano. In this short work taking less than two minutes here, Enescu pays tribute (or homage) to his teacher by fashioning the letters of Fauré’s name into music notation. There is great appeal to the playing of piano soloist Diana Ketler who produces an atmospheric, heavily perfumed rendition. Given the unused space on the CD it’s disappointing that Ketler didn’t include another piano work such as the Ballade, Prélude et Fugue or Suite No 1 ‘Dans le style ancien’, Op 3.
Although Enescu regarded himself principally a composer he was celebrated as one of the foremost violinists of the twentieth century. Enescu dedicated his Impressions d’enfance (Childhood Impressions) a suite of miniatures for violin and piano, Op 28, written in 1940, to the memory of his violin teacher Eduard Caudella. Comprising of ten miniatures depicting events in a single day and inspired by Romanian folk music, the suite evokes the composer’s childhood memories. In the assured hands of violin soloist Gilles Apap and pianist Diana Ketler the duo makes a strong case for it; the final three are strikingly evocative. Notable, too, is the rather eerie atmosphere the pair create in No 8 Vent dans la cheminée (Wind in the chimney). Following on is the torrent of sound produced in No 9 Tempête au dehors, dans la nuit (Storm outside in the night) and a glorious awakening portrayed in Lever de soleil (Sunrise).
Recording in Studio 2, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Munich, the engineering team for Solo Musica has produced clear and well-balanced sound quality. The rather lacklustre booklet notes contain only modest information about each work.
Michael Cookson
Ensemble Raro: Alexander Sitkovetsky (leader), Razvan Popovici (viola), Justus Grimm (cello), Diana Ketler (piano).
Guests: Anna-Liisa Bezrodny (2nd violin), Gilles Apap (violin: Op. 28)
