There is much to admire
in the London Concertante’s way with
Brahms. The group plays with a warmth
that is entirely appropriate to these
two works. Unfortunately the rather
swimmy acoustic means that focus can
be lost (try the cello line at 5’06
in the first movement); but alas it
does not necessarily mean that the players’
warmth is added to.
The Brahms is full
of pluses being balanced by minuses,
and in the end unfortunately the debit
side wins out. The Scherzo begins dark
and shady (as indeed it should) and
the players listen well to each other.
But the scampering figures sound decidedly
anaemic and there is a loss of momentum
as the argument is not elucidated with
sufficient grasp of the underlying musical
proceedings. The Poco Adagio fares better,
entering a more intimate world and the
near-stasis around the two-minute mark
is impressive. Yet the music seems to
drift rather than anything else – clearly
players of more maturity are called
for. If the finale attempts to make
amends (it is by far the best movement)
with its gentle, glowing inner parts
and scampering violins, it cannot fully
erase memories of the earlier parts
of the performance. For a satisfying
account (on period instruments), try
Hausmusik on Signum
SIGCD013 .
The Brahms Sextet is
accompanied by brief booklet notes by
the London Concertante’s leader, Andy
Summerhayes. Verklärte Nacht
is given no annotation whatsoever, save
for a translation by Sonya Grist (presumably
a relation of the first cellist, Chris
Grist) of Richard Dehmel’s poem, ‘Verklärte
Nacht’ – the original German is not
provided. London Concertante give a
better account of Schoenberg than they
did the Brahms. Their predominantly
lyrical stance leads to many oases of
peace and many tender, melancholic half-lights.
The group still does not appear to be
fully ‘inside’ the work, however – the
music fails to blossom at, say, 15’23.
Tenderness is frequently evident in
this account, but the fire and glow
of this late-Romantic masterwork is
lost. The final pages are insubstantial,
the web of sound sketchy and the first
violin off-puttingly shrill. The lack
of repose is a shame. For a different
type of experience, go back through
the years to the Hollywood Quartet’s
early ’fifties version, where the quartet
was joined by Alvin Dinkin and Kurt
Reher on Testament SBT1031 (generously
coupled with the Schubert String Quintet
in C, D956, to give a playing time of
73 glorious minutes).
Not really a recommendable
issue, then, despite some nice moments,
especially in the Brahms. Unless it
is this specific coupling you require
(entirely logical, given Schoenberg’s
admiration for Brahms), it is best to
look elsewhere.
Colin Clarke
London Concertante. 
