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Availability
Radioservis (Czech Republic)
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Robert
SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Piano Quintet in E flat major op. 44 [30:18]
Bohuslav MARTINŮ (1890-1959)
Piano Quintet No. 2 H298 (1944) [31:54]
Michiko Otaki
(piano)
Graffe String Quartet
rec. Czech Radio, Brno, 24-26 July 2007. DDD
RADIOSERVIS CR0385-2 [62:18]  |
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Two four movement piano quintets separated
in time by a century.
The Schumann is smilingly done with
the Graffe Quartet capitalising on
the work’s lucid and sauntering insouciance
as much as on its graveness. The lively
acoustic warms the notes and lends
the music a certain baritonal emphasis.
The Martinů is classic stuff
from the ferment of his early American
years. This is music that yearns and
lilts at speed. It is bound to prompt
memories of the Fourth Symphony in
the first and third movements. The
Adagio is almost Mozartian
in its classical poise. There is
heartfelt lamentation in the finale
which recalls Josef Suk at his most
soulful (St Wenceslas Meditation)
although this later gives way to pages
of Martinů at his most quirky.
Finally we hear the return of Martinů
the hunted, Martinů the frenetic.
This version of the Martinů quintet
can be compared with an alternative
recording in which the Martinů
Quartet and Karel Kosarek recorded
both Piano Quintets alongside the
Sonata for two violin and piano (Naxos
8.557861). The Naxos version gives
a lower profile to the piano and is
faster in the quick movements. The
present disc accords the music a noticeably
more virile, immediate and forthright
edge although the all-Martinů
coupling of the Naxos disc gives it
an edge with that composer’s growing
number of adherents.
A very fine reading of the Martinů
and a mainstream romantic version
of the Schumann.
Rob Barnett
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