Founded
over sixty years ago in Chicago the Fine Arts Quartet is a highly
accomplished ensemble. On the evidence of these superb performances
and other recent releases such as the Schumann String Quartets
1-3 they prove themselves to be in the same elevated league
as ensembles such as the Emerson, Škampa, Talich, Takács, Hagen,
Quatuor Mosaďques, Kodály, Henschel, Belcea
and Zehetmair.
I strongly believe that Glazunov’s substantial output of music is not
as well known as it deserves to be. The most frequently heard
work is the Violin Concerto (1904). One sometimes hears
music from his two major ballets Raymonda (1898)
and The Seasons (1900) also the Chant du Ménestrel
(1900) in either of its versions for cello and piano or
for cello and orchestra. As a frequent attender of chamber music
recitals I have yet to hear any performances of Glazunov’s chamber
works. Although not known for their progressive or experimental
nature his works are generally of high quality and I commend
any chamber music lover to hear the two volumes of String Quartets
from the Utrecht String Quartet on MDG 603 1236-2 (Quartets
3 and 5) and MDG 603 1237-2 (Quartets 2, 4 and Elegy for
Strings) and also the recording of the Quartets 3 and 5
from the Shostakovich Quartet on Regis RRC 1211.
Grove-Online;
Wikipedia and virtually every other resource I have consulted
give the composition date for Glazunov’s Five Novelettes,
Op.15 as 1886. However, the information in the Naxos booklet
notes says 1881; which means that Glazunov would
have been a mere sixteen year old when he wrote the score. Evidently
he originally gave the less descriptive title of ‘Suite’ to
this five movement work. Lasting almost as long in performance
as the A major String Quintet the amiable and predominantly
folk music-inspired Five Novelettes is an outstanding
work and a hidden gem of the chamber music repertoire.
Glazunov’s
Five Novelettes have all been given exotic titles. They
open with an appealing Alla spagnuola (In the Spanish
style). Briskly performed with high spirits by the Fine Arts
Quartet the piece also contains a contrasting dreamy central
section. The dance-like piece entitled Orientale has
the character of a Percy Grainger folk dance rather than anything
terribly oriental. Again there is a contrasting central core.
In the Dorian mode the third movement is a reverential Interludium
in modo antico that reminded me of sacred music from the
Russian Orthodox Church. There’s considerable warmth and good
humour to be heard in the Valse. The buoyantly played
final piece, marked All’ungherese (In Hungarian style),
convey strong evocations of tradition gypsy and Magyar rhythms.
The
four movement String Quintet in A major, Op.39 is scored
for a second cello rather than the more usual viola - in the
manner of Schubert’s Quintet in C major, D. 956. Here
the Fine Arts are augmented by the services of second cellist
Nathaniel Rosen. The opening Allegro begins with a glorious
melody for the viola. One is struck by the appeal of this highly
attractive music infused as it is with lush and brazen Romanticism.
Pizzicato strings herald the opening of the engaging
Scherzo. The heartrending strains of the Andante could
melt even the stoniest of hearts. In the highly-flavoured Russian-sounding
themes of the Finale the players successfully conclude
proceedings in a robust and vivacious manner.
There
are only a small number of alternative versions of Glazunov’s
String Quintet and Five Novelettes and none that
I consider an improvement over this superb Naxos release. I
am reasonably familiar with what is probably the best known
version of the String Quintet from the ASMF Chamber Ensemble
on Chandos (c/w Tchaikovsky String Sextet in D minor,
Op 70). In the Five Novelettes the versions most likely
to be encountered are those from the St. Petersburg String Quartet
on Delos and also from the Lyric Quartet on Meridian; both recordings
having the String Quartet No. 5, Op. 70 as their coupling.
I
gained significant enjoyment from this desirable release. The
sonics are to demonstration standard. The delightful and substantial
Five Novelettes are a hidden gem worthy of discovery.
Michael Cookson
See also Review
by Jonathan Woolf
Fine Arts
Quartet
