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César FRANCK (1822-1890)
Piano Quintet in f minor, Op.14, M7 (1879) [37:07]
Gabriel FAURÉ (1845-1924)
Piano Quintet No.1 in d minor, Op.89 (1887-95, rev. 1903-05) [31:13]
Mami Shikimori (piano)
Wihan Quartet
rec. 24-25 March 2018, Church of Saint Vavřince, Prague. DDD.
NIMBUS ALLIANCE NI6397 [68:21]

Mami Shikimori has recorded solo for the Claudio and Naxos labels, but I believe that this is her chamber music recording debut. The Wihan Quartet are no strangers to the studio, having made a number of recordings with Nimbus on their Alliance label. I thought that their recording the Beethoven Op.18 Quartets on two CDs would have shone in a less competitive field – review – but Patrick Waller had some reservations about their 3-CD set of the late Beethoven quartets – review.

In repertoire closer to the time of this new Nimbus CD, however, PW was much more complimentary about their recording of Smetana on the Arco Diva label – review. That recording remains available, though no longer on sale from MusicWeb, and the Wihan Quartet have re-recorded Smetana’s better-known Quartet No.2, with Dvořák and Tchaikovsky for Nimbus (NI6376).

Fine recordings of the Franck Piano Quintet come at all prices and with a range of different couplings. Bargain hunters should be happy with the Quintet and the Piano Quartet from Cristina Ortiz and the Fine Arts Quartet (Naxos 8.572009), but my benchmark comes from the Takács Quartet with Marc-André Hamelin, a ‘highly charged and passionate performance’ on Hyperion (CDA68061: Recording of the Month – review). That’s well worth having even if you already have a good recording of the coupling, the Debussy Quartet, or the Franck can be downloaded separately, in 16- or 24-bit sound, from hyperion-records.co.uk.

Ortiz and the Fine Arts Quartet take the outer movements slightly faster than Shikimori and the Wihan Quartet. The difference is not huge, but it does mean that the Naxos performance sounds slightly less intense. By comparison, I found myself warming to that earlier recording slightly less than I had before, but it remains the case that if you want the coupling, this is a good and inexpensive way to obtain it. For some strange reason, the cover has changed to a much less appealing design since I reviewed it ten years ago.

The Wihans are of a similar mind to the Takács Quartet in the opening movement, and come close to achieving their level of intensity. In the second movement, lento con molto sentimento, I thought the Fine Arts performance a little perfunctory. The Takács Quartet give it all that the marking asks for, without too overtly wearing their hearts on their sleeves. Though the Wihan Quartet are only a few seconds slower than the Fine Arts, and more than half a minute faster than the Takács, their performance also clearly brings out their affection for the music – tinged with a little wistfulness.

The tempo for the finale is something of a juggling act – allegro non troppo ma con fuoco. The Wihan Quartet take half a minute longer here than either of their rivals, but, as if to prove once again that timings are not all that counts, there’s no lack of fire in this performance, which rounds off a reading which is well worth considering.

Overall, though the Hyperion remains my preferred recording, not least for its availability as a 24/96 download at a not unreasonable price of £12, with 16-bit and CD on offer from hyperion-records.co.uk for £7.99 and £8 respectively. The Ingres Odalisque on the cover perfectly captures the spirit of the performance, though the Debussy coupling would be better represented for me by a summer landscape.

There are no recent recordings which combine the Franck and the Fauré piano quintets. In the latter, the strong competition again comes chiefly from Hyperion: among the outstanding glories of their catalogue are two recordings made by Domus and listed in my Hyperion Top 30 – the two Fauré Piano Quartets (CDA66166 or CDA30007 – review of alternative release) and the two Piano Quintets (CDA66766). Bargain lovers should be happy with a Double Decca twofer of all four works from Pascal Rogé and the Ysaÿe Quartet (4751872).

When the Schubert Ensemble’s recording of the Fauré Piano Quartets for Nimbus came my way some time ago, I found myself in the position of recommending it as a fine pair of performances of life-enhancing music, but, regretfully, as also-rans to the even better Domus recording – review. The same applies to their recording of the Quintets for Chandos – April 2010. The situation with the new Nimbus recording is much less clear-cut.

The Wihan Quartet and Shikimori acquit themselves well again in the Fauré Piano Quintet No.1; taken all in all, if the coupling appeals – and Fauré and Franck make good partners in chamber music – this recording is well worth having. Both works come close to competing with those top recommendations from Hyperion and Decca.

It would have to be the Hyperion recording which accompanies me to my Desert Island, but I shall be returning to this Nimbus release. In the opening movement of the Fauré, the Wihans give the music a little more room for comfort than Domus, yet I never felt that the music was drawn out or too cosy; this is music which is loved by the players, but not stifled. The adagio second movement, on the other hand, finds the Nimbus team very slightly faster, while in the finale they again come in slightly slower than Domus. Yet these differences are more apparent than real, and I really enjoyed the Nimbus CD.

Nor is there much to choose between the well-balanced Nimbus recording and the Hyperion, the latter heard as a lossless download, with pdf booklet. If Shikimori and the Wihan Quartet were to follow up this release with the other Fauré Piano Quintet, I might seriously have to rethink my priorities.

Another release pairing these two composers, which I failed to note when it was released, though I downloaded it in 24-bit sound from eclassical.com, combines Fauré’s two violin sonatas with Franck’s single sonata in performances by Tedi Papavrami (Stradivarius violin ‘le Reynier’) and Nelson Goerner (piano) (ALPHA271). Jonathan Woolf – review – and Marc Rochester – review – did the honours back in 2017. If you find these performances too robust, you may be happier with Grumiaux and Crossley, identically coupled on two Decca Eloquence CDs, with music by Debussy, Lekeu, Ravel, Vieuxtemps and Ysaÿe thrown in (4428299: ‘central recommendations’ – review – now download only and more expensive than when available on CD). If you want period instruments, you should be aware of a Harmonia Mundi, recording of the Franck Violin Sonata from Isabelle Faust and Alexander Melnikov, with Chausson’s Concerto for piano, violin and string quartet, which I reviewed in Spring 2019/1, alongside a Hyperion release.

To return to the Nimbus CD, I found a great deal not just to enjoy but to love. If those rival recordings from Hyperion didn’t exist, I might well have made this my first choice in both works. As a coupling, it works very well. And if it leads you to the Fauré Piano Quartets and the two composers’ Violin Sonatas, so much the better.

Brian Wilson