Max REGER (1873-1916)
Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet Op. 146 (1915) [36:13]
Paul HINDEMITH (1895-1963)
Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet Op. 30 (2nd version 1955) [20:49]
Vladimir Soltan (clarinet)
Utrecht String Quartet
rec. 14-16 July 2020, Konzerthaus der Abtei, Marienmünster, Germany
MDG 903 2198-6 SACD [57:02]
It might seem odd to pair Reger’s and Hindemith’s clarinet quintets, but it does work despite their contrasting approaches. Reger’s quintet builds upon the great role models of previous generations; indeed, it is in the same key, A major, as Mozart’s, and Reger commented to his publisher that it is no longer than Brahms’ quintet. In contrast, Hindemith’s quintet is composed more in the tradition of the divertimento rather than in the classical four-movement style, in five short movements with the final movement being the reverse of the opening movement. Before I go any further, I must mention the layout of this disc: both the booklet and the back cover have the Reger first and the Hindemith second, but then matters are confused by the works being given the wrong track numbers. The Reger is tracked from 6 to 9 but is indeed tracks 1 to 4, and the Hindemith does not begin at track 1, but is tracks 5 to 9. If you get past this confusion by ignoring these track numbers you will find that this is a wonderful and rewarding disc.
The quintet was conceived in the spring of 1912, but Reger did not begin composing it until the summer of 1915, completing it with a note at the end of the score, “Fine Max Reger 16. 12. 1915”. However, it was not until the 1st of May 1916, after a few revisions and the addition of some performance instructions that he sent the score to his publisher. It therefore holds a special place for fans of Reger’s music, as it was the final work he completed; he died of a heart attack just ten days later. It is a splendid example of the late Romantic tradition, its four movements seen as placing the work in succession to Mozart’s and Brahms’, although it is a real partnership between the clarinet and the strings with all instruments on an equal footing so that there is no dominant strand in the work. The opening movement has three themes, the third of which forms the basis of the lilting third movement Largo. In the final movement, Reger further aligns his quintet with those of Mozart and Brahms by choosing a theme with eight variations. My only other recording of this work is by Karl Leister and the Drolc Quartet (477 5518), which shows its age in comparison; the 1972 recording cannot compete, even though it is regarded as the classic. I think that Vladimir Soltan and the Utrecht String Quartet give a finer performance, as although their tempos, apart from the final Poco allegretto, are slightly slower, they have a greater sense of forward momentum and greater balance.
Paul Hindemith’s quintet was originally composed just seven years after the Reger in 1923 but was never published, and when he fled Germany for America, he left it in Switzerland with a number of other works of the period. After the war, Hindemith accepted a professorship at Yale, but in 1949 he was offered the position of Professor of Composition in Zurich. He initially divided his time between the universities, but in 1953 settled near Lake Geneva, where he would spend the rest of his life. It was after returning to Switzerland that he began reworking some of his compositions from the 1920’s, chief amongst them being his wonderful opera Cardillac. In 1954 he turned his attention towards the Clarinet Quintet, giving it a major revision, completely recasting it, with sections unrecognisable from the original. He retained the character and humour of the movements, and original themes and motifs remained, but they were altered somewhat and overall the revised work was given a more ‘classical’ nature. The opening movement of this cyclical work has the clarinet brashly announcing itself against the violent interjections of the strings; after this we have a slow movement, the longest of the work, which is followed by a quick dance before the first violin takes the lead in a lovely Arioso. As mentioned above, the final movement is almost a mirror image of the first movement. My only other recording of this work is by the Spectrum Concerts Berlin (8.572213), and although this ensemble is used to performing works such as this, I find this new recording more rewarding, as its greater sense of fun comes through to win the day.
The DG recording of the Reger quintet by Karl Leister and the Drolc Quartet cannot match this new one either sonically or in terms of performance. The recording of the Hindemith by the Spectrum Concerts Berlin more closely matches it, but the better recorded sound and helpful acoustic of the Dabringhaus und Grimm disc win through in the end and help you hear every little nuance of the music. The booklet notes are also excellent, helping the listener to understand the composer’s intentions.
This is a highly rewarding release and no fan of the music of Reger and Hindemith will want to be without it.
Stuart Sillitoe
