Categories
Recording

Mozart: Piano Trios, KV 502, 542, 564

Rautio Piano Trio
57:11
Resonus RES10168

[dropcap]R[/dropcap]arely does a disc come along that unexpectedly brings so much pleasure as this one; I confess that I was non-plussed (at best) when it fell from the envelope and I saw the repertoire (a staple of the chamber music club I used to have to attend on behalf of the local newspaper) but from the opening notes, I just knew it was a total winner. The balance between the three instruments is beautifully handled (the cello only sometiems emerges from its bass line duties), and the gorgeous tone Jane Gordon gets especially from the upper reaches of her violin is absolutely to die for. The three works on the disc only last just under an hour, but what an hour! According to the booklet note, the Rautio Piano Trio also play modern repertoire on suitable instruments, so they are clearly a force to be reckoned with. I hope they and Resonus will continue to explore period performances of some less well-known pieces for the line-up, too – fabulous recordings, magical performances.

Brian Clark

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Categories
Sheet music

Emanuel Aloys Förster: Six String Quartets. Op. 7

Edited by Nancy November
Recent Researches in Music of the Classical Era, 99
A-R Editions, Inc.
xx+226pp
$240.00

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]hese six four-movement works (in A, F, D, B flat, G and E flat major respectively) were dedicated to Friedrich Wilhelm, the cello-playing Prussian king who had inspired Mozart and Haydn to write music for him. Förster (eight years Mozart’s senior) was a multi-talented musician, teaching keyboard and musical theory in 1780s Vienna, while playing violin and viola in chamber music ensembles (having been an oboist in the Prussian army earlier in his life!)

After a quick opening movement, the tempo lessens for the second, then a menuetto-trio pairing leads into a lively finale. In fact, these are essentially what by that date had become standard Viennese string quartets. For much of the time the 1st violin dominates, though the cello (as mentioned at the beginning of the review) does regularly take the limelight, and the middle parts – though largely harmonic in function, with some neat figuration – are occasionally also allowed to join in (or even lead) the conversation.

The scores are elegant and spacious without being dominated by white space. As there is no need to worry about page turns, some of the layout seems a little random to someone (i. e., me) who spends his life typesetting music (such as turning a page for a single system of a trio, which then requires a turn back of two pages), but since these scores are for study and not conductors or players, such considerations (and observations) are perhaps irrelevant?

The Authentic Quartet have recorded Förster’s three quartets, op. 21, for the Hungaroton label but I have not been able to locate a version of these six works – now that they have been neatly edited (and A-R Editions do sell performing materials for the set) someone can rectify that situation.

Brian Clark

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Categories
Recording

Beethoven: Sonatas for Fortepiano and Violin, volume 2

Ian Watson and Susanna Ogata
50:37
CORO connections COR16143

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his is the second volume in a projected complete recording of Beethoven’s sonatas for fortepiano and violin. It was recorded in a marvellously open and bright acoustic by engineers who clearly know how to set up their equipment to get the very best sound from both instruments – the sound quality is ravishing!

That said, so are the performances. I’ve known these works for many years and yet somehow they both sounded so fresh here. The photographs in the excellent booklet show the lefthand edge of Susanna Ogata’s stand placed just above the extreme of the fortepiano’s treble register; in other words, she can (if she wants to) watch Ian Watson’s hands on the keyboard and he can sense her breathing, which must go some way to explaining the wonderful sense of togetherness.

I shall now have to go out and buy volume 1 – this is definitely a complete set worth having!

Brian Clark

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Categories
Recording

A Bassoon in Stockholm…

Chamber works associated with the bassoon virtuoso Frans Preumayr
Donna Agrell bassoon, Lorenzo Coppola clarinet, Teunis van der Zwart horn, Marc Destrubé & Franc Polman violins, Yoshiko Morita viola, Albert Brüggen cello, Robert Franenberg double bass, Ronald Brautigam fortepiano
68:53
BIS 2141 SACD

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his remarkable recording owes its existence to the fine detective work of the solo bassoonist, Donna Agrell. She plays a Grenser & Wiesner instrument which she bought some thirty years ago and whose case had a Swedish address label on it; the connection led her to Frans Preumayr who moved there with two of his brothers at the beginning of the 19th century to join the Royal Orchestra. The clarinettist in that ensemble was none other than Bernhard Henrik Crusell, who as well as composing several pieces for him later became his father-in-law. The works on this CD are by another member of the orchestra, Franz Berwald, and its director, Edouard Du Puy (though its third movement – which requires the bassoonist to cover three and a half octaves! – was actually added later by one of the court oboists, Carl Anton Philipp Braun).

Agrell is joined by colleagues from the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century and a fortepianist who needs no introduction. Together they make fabulous music, with the bassoon really only prominent in the Du Puy quintet. In Berwald’s Septet (clarinet, horn, bassooon, violin, viola, cello and bass) and quartet with piano, clarinet and horn, it is just one voice – albeit an eloquent and stylish one! – among many.

The recorded sound is first rate, as we expect from BIS.

I cannot imagine this recital being an “easy sell” for the company, given that the title is not exactly going to grab the attention of prospective buyers in shops (if such things even exist any more!) or online, but I sincerely hope that it gets decent air time and sells well – it is rare for such obscure repertoire to be given such fine performances, and the tale behind the whole project is enchanting!

Brian Clark

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