Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
String Quartet No.2 in A, Op 68 [35:11]
Piano Quintet in g minor, Op.57 [35:15]
Marc-André Hamelin (piano)
Takács Quartet
rec. Concert Hall, Wyastone Estate, Monmouth, UK, 2014. DDD
HYPERION CDA67987 [70:26]
Reviewed as lossless download from hyperion-records.co.uk
(available on CD and in mp3, 16- and 24-bit lossless downloads, with
pdf booklet)
Right from the very first bar I felt that these were going to be fine
performances of these two Shostakovich works. The first movement of
Quartet No.2 is played with vigour and forward thrust. Although the
recording is rich and warm, with excellent balance, the textural complexity
is delivered with clarity and transparency by the musicians and recording
engineers. The movement is a well-rounded structure with the classical
proportions of sonata form; the Takács set a good tempo and show command
of the style.
The second movement is slow and passionate, and this is particularly
well expressed in the first violin’s lamenting recitatives as we are
taken to visit the darker side of this composer’s psyche. As the emotional
intensity increases, the tension of the performance is palpable. As
we move through the Romance, the players get right to the heart
of this music. Eventually we return to the stillness of the opening
before moving into a rather moody but very fast waltz which,
in spite of its underlying melancholy, gives us some relief from the
intensity of the second movement. Nevertheless a casual listener would
not guess that the composer had described this as a waltz. It develops
into an increasingly vigorous and wild scherzo and I am constantly
struck by the imagination of the musical interpretation and brilliance
of the ensemble work shown here by the Takács players.
The ensuing Theme and Variations begins solemnly enough, but
as we proceed through the variations the players show a deep understanding
of the widely varying moods and performing techniques involved.
The opening Prelude of the Piano Quintet is given a solid start
by Mark-André Hamelin, but he finds more expressive possibilities here
than many players. The string quartet players soon join him and together
they build towards a fine and impassioned climax. As so often in Shostakovich
the mood suddenly changes. The ensuing section is seemingly light-hearted
but also wistful, and it soon develops into something more dramatic.
Characteristically, Shostakovich uses extreme registers of the piano,
often in octaves, and Hamelin knows when to dominate and when to maintain
a lower profile in the texture.
The second movement is by far the most substantial. It is marked Fugue:
adagio and begins gently with more than a touch of melancholy. We
are given no advanced intimation of the drama and passion to come. Eventually
the pianist, who is the last player to join the fugal exposition, sets
a more ominous tone in the piano’s deepest register. The balance is
well judged by both the players and the recording engineers, and the
players are well able to manage effectively the huge climaxes later
on.
The fiery scherzo provides a foil to the tragic undertones of
the slow movement. It is gruffly Beethovenian but with strange melodic
shapes and with the occasional 4-time bar thrown in to dislodge the
pulse. This short but virtuosic and colourful movement is tossed off
by the players with great panache and style. It sounds as though the
musicians are having great fun.
After a beautifully performed fourth movement, a little intermezzo,
we arrive at the last movement, a piece which always seems a little
strange to me. Although I have performed the piano part myself many
times, I still cannot say that I have got to the bottom of what the
composer really means. But perhaps this remains true of so much of
Shostakovich’s music. This final Allegretto is light in spirit,
at least at first, and it dances along happily in the major key. It
doesn’t seem quite to belong to this work, although soon there are reminisces
of sad things past and some crazily angular themes. The exciting moments
are well projected by the excellent players and the whole piece ends
quietly in a good mood. Or maybe it is a mood of quiet resignation.
This is a fine performance, with the players capturing the multi-faceted
and ambiguous moods of this ever-popular quintet. Both works are superbly
recorded by Hyperion and David Fanning’s programme notes are informative
as well as superbly and imaginatively written.
Geoffrey Molyneux
