DVOŘÁK Piano Quartets
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Antonín Dvořák
Genre:
Chamber
Label: Champs Hill
Magazine Review Date: 02/2016
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 67
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: CHRCD107
Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Quartet No. 1 for Piano and Strings |
Antonín Dvořák, Composer
Antonín Dvořák, Composer Gary Pomeroy, Violin London Bridge Trio |
Quartet No. 2 for Piano and Strings |
Antonín Dvořák, Composer
Antonín Dvořák, Composer Gary Pomeroy, Violin London Bridge Trio |
Author: Rob Cowan
Taut, obdurate and resilient, the opening signals storms in the offing, though the dancing transition to the lyrical second subject marks a significant change of mood. Happily, all four players lean towards a telling sequence of tonal contrasts, though the desperately pleading central oration – led by the piano (3'32") – would have benefited from a more doggedly emphatic string presence. Try by way of a comparison the Ax-Stern-Laredo-Ma recording (3'36" on their Sony Classical version). Then again, the London Bridge Trio do wonderfully well in the movement’s mysterious coda (starting at around 7'11"), with its shimmering string tremolandos and aching modulations.
The slow movement is a model of touchingly sincere expression (note the gentle way violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen wafts in at 1'18"). The lilting third movement wears a suave demeanour and the dancing finale occupies a place somewhere between the campfire and the tea room, though various darker asides remind us of the work’s considerable scale.
The earlier D major Quartet sits, opus-wise, between the Serenade for Strings and the Fifth Symphony (all three works date from 1875, when Dvořák was in his early thirties) and inhabits a parallel world filled with sunshine. Models include Schubert, whose sizeable B flat Trio was a probable influence. With exposition repeat (as here), the work weighs in at around 33 minutes, Waley-Cohen again distinguishing herself with restrained expressiveness and just a hint of portamento (specifically in the first movement’s exposition). An excellent CD and definitely a viable admission ticket to a musical world that is both accessible and musically substantial.
Discover the world's largest classical music catalogue with Presto Music.
Gramophone Digital Club
- Digital Edition
- Digital Archive
- Reviews Database
- Full website access
From £8.75 / month
SubscribeGramophone Full Club
- Print Edition
- Digital Edition
- Digital Archive
- Reviews Database
- Full website access
From £11.00 / month
Subscribe
If you are a library, university or other organisation that would be interested in an institutional subscription to Gramophone please click here for further information.