The Brahms transcription is something of a masterpiece. Schoenberg’s objective was to clarify musical arguments that are often obscured when, in performances of the original Piano Quartet, the pianist overwhelms the strings. This he did with immense skill, although some might find the rattling percussion that spices the finale (xylophone, side-drum, col legno strings, and so on) just a little overdone. In other respects, however, Schoenberg achieves a fine balance between Brahmsian richness and the kind of quickly shifting textures that are so typical of his own work. Woodwinds and strings are employed to imaginative effect and each separate movement is individually shaded, the pensive “Intermezzo” and big-hearted Andante con moto being the most successful of the four.
Dohnanyi’s performance is lucid, transparent and generally well played – especially by the strings. The sound is pleasingly luminous, more so in fact than on an earlier Dohnanyi recording with the Cleveland Orchestra (on the orchestra’s own label) where the third movement is faster by over one-and-a-half minutes. Both readings are admirably level-headed, but were I to choose a single version of the quartet, it would unquestionably be Michael Gielen’s digital recording for Intercord with the South West German RSO, not currently available in the UK but hopefully due to appear here on EMI (who are systematically reissuing important Intercord material).
Mahler ‘plumped up’ Beethoven’s F minor Quartet especially for a concert with the Vienna Philharmonic, but the arrangement adds precious little to our knowledge either of Beethoven or Mahler (it’s all very much as Beethoven left it, save for a reinforced bass-line). The performance is again very good, except that the first movement is hardly con brio and the Scherzo lacks intensity. Give me the original any day (the Busch Quartet, EMI, 1/95, provide the finest on record), although it would be fun to hear this Mahler version played in a really fiery fashion. The sound is again excellent and Calum MacDonald’s notes are exemplary.'