CLASSICAL AND BEYOND

Schumann - String Quartets Nos. 1 - 3 Fine Arts Quartet Naxos 8.570151

Schumann - The 3 String Quartets Quatuor Terpsycordes Claves 50-2404

 
The three Op.41 quartets were written in June and July of 1842, and although Schumann spent several months studying the quartets of Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart in preparation, the one voice that jumps out at the listener, particularly in the scherzo movements, is that of Mendelssohn, for whom the works were privately performed in September 1842 and to whom they were dedicated on their publication the following year.
 
In a recent WholeNote CD review of two of these quartets arranged for string orchestra, Larry Beckwith noted “the combination of elegance, anguish, poignancy and a sense of foreboding” that runs through the pieces. The joyous side of Schumann’s nature is also here, however, and in none of his other chamber compositions does he seem to be more at ease in the classical idiom than in these quartets.
 
The Naxos disc is a new recording by a quartet founded in 1946, while the full-price release on the Swiss classical label Claves features the 2004 debut recording by the young quartet that won the 56th Geneva International Competition in 2001.
 
The Fine Arts Quartet plays with the full-blooded Romantic warmth that one would expect from an ensemble where three of the members have been with the quartet for at least 25 years, but the Quatuor Terpsycordes, with a thoughtful approach that at times possibly borders on the cautious, is no less committed to the search for the emotional heart of the music.
 
The performance differences are not great, and are most noticeable in the Scherzo and Presto movements, where the crispness and sharper definition of the Fine Arts’ playing make for more clarity, rhythmic impetus, and sheer drive; their ending of the Op.44 No.1 in particular makes the Terpsycordes’ sound quite casual in comparison.
 
The recording quality is excellent on both CDs, with a warm, natural sound and any audible breathing from the players (more noticeable on the Claves disc) kept to a minimum.
 
All in all, two excellent CDs of works which should be much better-known than they are, with the low Naxos budget price making the Fine Arts disc a must for any serious lover of string quartet music as well as a rewarding buy for the merely curious.
 
Terry Robbins
 
Concert note: Music Toronto presents the Fine Arts Quartet performing Mozart, Shostakovich and Mendelssohn on February 8.

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Brahms - The Piano Quartets Leopold String Trio; Marc-Andre Hamelin Hyperion CDA67471/2

It’s All About the Music Marc-André Hamelin Hyperion DVDA68000

 
Montreal native and U.S. based pianist Marc-André Hamelin was awarded the honours of Officer of the Order of Canada and Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Québec in 2005. These are well-earned accolades for the Canadian virtuoso whose amazing technique, musicality and intellect have rocketed him to the international concert and recital stage. He is equally at home in solo performance and in an ensemble setting as seen in these two releases.
 
Hamelin and the Leopold String Trio (comprised of violinist Marianne Thorsen, violist Lawrence Power and cellist Kate Gould) prove their phenomenal musicianship in “Brahms - The Piano Quartets”. Brahms is not one of my favourite composers but his compositions are performed so movingly here that no modern day interruptions such as ringing telephones or boiling kettles could entice me to stop listening. All three Piano Quartets are performed with precision, subtle nuance, and exceptional balance. The interplay between the instrumentalists is especially noteworthy - there is careful listening taking place here that makes each quartet a moving experience.
The two-CD release is rounded out by Three Intermezzi Op. 117 for solo piano - Hamelin’s performance of especially the Andante moderato proves that he is just as at home with lyrical passages as with technically difficult ones. Here is a release for both Brahms and Hamelin fans alike. “Brahms - The Piano Quartets” will hold a special place in my collection.
 
The DVD release “It’s all about the music” is an over two-hour Hamelin extravaganza. The title track documentary is an illuminating look at the professional life of a world-class musician. From clips from the concert stage to interviews with the artist and his colleagues, viewers can learn about Hamelin’s fascination with such less familiar composers as Leopold Godowsky and Nikolai Medtner, about his childhood musical influences, and see him perform on stage and in the recording studio.  The second film, “Recital: Hamelin in Charlevoix, Quebec” is both a visual and aural showcase of the pianist’s remarkable presence and musicianship on the concert stage. This is an excellent film of a concert – each scene has been edited to provide a different vantage point from which to see and hear the music. The film is rounded out with interviews with Laval University musicologist Marc-André Roberge. The interviews in the Part III “Extra features” complete a good release well worth viewing.
 
It is no secret that Marc-André Hamelin is one of my favourite pianists - he continues to amaze me with his fine work here.
 
Tiina Kiik

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The Journey Leon Fleisher Vanguard Classics ATM CD 1796

   
Barring deafness, of all misfortunes to befall a concert pianist there can perhaps be none so devastating as a hand injury. But that’s exactly what happened to the American pianist Leon Fleisher, who at the age of 37, was stricken with an affliction known as focal dystonia, leaving two fingers of his right hand immobile. Forced to restrict his performing activities to pieces written for the left hand, Fleisher focused on conducting and teaching - but after 31 years (and a multitude of treatments), he eventually returned as a two-handed performer, sounding as wonderful as ever.
 
This newest disc, “The Journey” on the Vanguard Classics label, is actually the second he has recorded since his comeback - the first, “Two Hands”, appeared in February 2005. Like the former release, this one is a happy mixture of the familiar with the more obscure. Pieces such as the Chopin Berceuse, and Beethoven’s Für Elise need no introduction - but the inclusion of  works like J.S. Bach’s Fantasia “On the Departure of a Brother” and the Serenade in A major by Igor Stravinsky are indeed evidence of Fleisher’s interest in venturing outside the mainstream.
 
Throughout this recording, I was struck by his exemplary pairing of a flawless technique with great musical sensitivity. Listening to the opening measures of Bach’s Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, one would never guess this is the playing of a pianist pushing 80 whose right hand was out of service for over 30 years. Yet the Berceuse is all sensuousness and grace.
 
A second disc features an interview between Fleisher and radio host Bob Edwards. For Fleisher, and for those of us who admire and enjoy his playing, it was a long journey indeed, but one that has had a decidedly happy ending.
 
Richard Haskell

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Rhapsodies Alain Lefevre; Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal; Matthias Bamert Analekta AN 2 9277

 
Alain Lefevre’s obsession with Quebec wunderkind composer André Mathieu who died tragically young in 1968 continues into a third CD, this one even more ambitious than its predecessors. From two successive nights of concertizing in the Salle Wilfred-Pelletier, we are presented with three electrifying performances.
 
Mathieu’s Rhapsodie Romantique (1958) is an altogether much more robust and adventurous work than his earlier Concerto de Quebec, and it sprawls over some wonderful peaks and valleys. As such, it can stand proudly alongside not just Rachmaninov as presented here, but also Scriabin. In one sweeping 23-minute unbroken movement, it is as much tone poem as it is concerto, and worth repeated hearings.
 
Warhorses make up the remainder of the 68 minutes, with Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini taking up the middle ground. This performance is one that is as spirited as you will hear anywhere. The set ends with Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. This may be my new favourite version of that well-known work... Apologies to Kunzel and his pops orchestras.
 
I regret that William Tritt is not around to witness this, a project that he would have loved to tackle. But the glory is all Lefevre’s here: the one-man Mathieu revivalist has an enviable string of great performances behind him. Matthias Bamert and the OSM exceed all expectations.
 
Orchestra and piano seem very close-miked, giving special insight into Lefevre’s subtle pedalling, particularly in the Gershwin.
 
John S. Gray