Crystal continues its
commitment to the Weiss Duo by coupling
two sonatas from a live 1969 recital
with a new recording of the Chausson
Concert. The Leclair is an attractive
reading with an opening slow movement
(actually marked un poco andante)
that doesn’t sound too slow and a witty
Allegro. Sidney Weiss reserves his greatest
reserves of tone colour and weight for
the Largo, with plenty of shading, and
though the Tambourin finale sounds a
mite staid this is still a welcome reading.
On the same bill that evening in 1969
was the Debussy Sonata. What was noticeable
in the Leclair becomes unavoidable in
the Debussy, The acoustic is resonant
and it also manages to impart a rather
metallic edge to the violinist’s tone.
He and Jeanne Weiss are warmly expressive
in the first movement but as the sonata
develops things beyond their control
tend to mitigate pleasure. The recording
level is too loud and there’s a lack
of quiet playing, probably as a consequence;
there’s also some tape rumble and certainly
in the second movement pre-echo. As
a result the performance comes over
as rather unsubtle and over-projected;
dynamic subtleties are ironed out and
it’s difficult to tell how much is the
duo’s responsibility and how much (a
considerable amount I suspect) is down
to the unhelpful recording.
The companion Chausson
in this all-French programme was recorded
in 2004. The recording acoustic tends
to be slightly too cavernous and it
can occasionally blunt the focus of
the piano. Nevertheless from the start
we can feel that there is a certain
Brahmsian cast to this traversal, heavy
chording without too much, in the first
movement at least, of a commensurate
lightness. In the intervening years
Weiss’s tone has, inevitably, thinned
somewhat though he’s still capable of
some truly evocative phrasing. Though
their first movement isn’t quick (they
take a good 14.28) the Sicilienne is
fleetly phrased; it depends I suppose
how one interprets the pas vite indication.
In their classic recording with quartet
Cortot and Thibaud took 4.20 for the
Sicilienne and the whole nature of the
music is changed as a result, being
lighter and more elfin. In the main
then this Weiss-led performance is pretty
solid and meaty.
It’s always pleasurable
to encounter these two experienced chamber
players and in spite of some clear drawbacks
this disc will still appeal to their
many admirers. Others will perhaps need
to sample first.
Jonathan Woolf
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The Weiss Duo - Sidney Weiss (violin) and
Jeanne Weiss (piano) with Coup d’Archet Quartet
(Armen Anassian and Marina Munukian (violins)
Andrew Picken (viola) Richard Naill (cello))*
