Brahms Piano & Clarinet Quintets
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Johannes Brahms, Béla Kovács
Label: Hungaroton
Magazine Review Date: 11/1986
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 0
Mastering:
ADD
Catalogue Number: HCD11596
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Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Quintet for Piano and Strings |
Johannes Brahms, Composer
BartÓK Qt Dezsö Ránki, Piano Johannes Brahms, Composer |
Quintet for Clarinet and Strings |
Johannes Brahms, Composer
BartÓK Qt Béla Kovács, Composer Johannes Brahms, Composer |
Author:
It is a matter of where your priorities lie and the importance you may attach to each. If you insist that the CD you buy must be well filled to justify the outlay, then you will undoubtedly go for this new one since it contains both the Piano and Clarinet Quintets which make a generously long disc at well over the hour. The Philips CD with Previn has only the Piano Quintet and at 41'06'' is poor value. The Hungarians get the two works on to the CD because they omit the first movement repeats of both quartets, so that will affect your choice if your priority is to have every repeat observed. (The short repeats in the last movement of the Clarinet Quintet are, of course, played.)
Then there is the quality of recording, and good as the Hungaroton sound is, it is thick in comparison with the far more recently recorded Philips version. The balance on the latter is pretty good, where it is rather variable on this Hungaroton. The Piano Quintet is more successful in the matter of balance than the Clarinet Quintet, for the Clarinet is too closely recorded. I know that it is a vastly different sound from a violin: nevertheless the string instrument should not lack quality. And this weakness is emphasized when the two instruments are duetting, as they sometimes do.The Philips therefore is easily my choice for the Piano Quintet; but it is none the less fairly small measure for the price of a Compact Disc.'
Then there is the quality of recording, and good as the Hungaroton sound is, it is thick in comparison with the far more recently recorded Philips version. The balance on the latter is pretty good, where it is rather variable on this Hungaroton. The Piano Quintet is more successful in the matter of balance than the Clarinet Quintet, for the Clarinet is too closely recorded. I know that it is a vastly different sound from a violin: nevertheless the string instrument should not lack quality. And this weakness is emphasized when the two instruments are duetting, as they sometimes do.The Philips therefore is easily my choice for the Piano Quintet; but it is none the less fairly small measure for the price of a Compact Disc.'
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