Taneyev & Arensky: Piano Quintets
A marvellous new recording from Hyperion of Russian chamber music. The two composers featured came from the same
stable, but were poles apart in many respects. The stable in question was
the Moscow Conservatoire, and the composers: Taneyev and Arensky. Both of them form an interesting link
between the composers of the generation before (the brothers Rubinstein,
Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky) and after (Rachmaninov and Scriabin).
Listening to the G minor Piano Quintet on this
new disc, I can see why Taneyev has been dubbed the
‘Russian Brahms’. It certainly has the heady mix of swagger and counterpoint
associated with the German master, and is also music that is brilliantly
constructed. It has a dense texture, the
music working through the motivic relationships in a tight structure, again much like Brahms. It treads the line between spontaneity and
academia. Reading the liner notes I came away with the impression that Taneyev
did not lack self confidence in his abilities - his teacher, none other than one Piotr Tchaikovsky, had to put up with his star pupil advising him on rewriting
the variation section of his great Piano Trio in A minor!
By contrast, the Arensky Piano Quintet certainly
sounds far more rhapsodic than the taut
structure of the Taneyev quintet. Where Taneyev is constantly developing, Arensky writes with a more open, jovial feel; there is more space to breath in this music. You might say it is an ideal foil
to the work of Taneyev. Indeed I think these two works perfectly demonstrate their respective approach to composition.
The recording by the Goldner String Quartet and
Piers Lane is quite exceptional, but then again based on their previous productions on
the Hyperion label I was expecting great things. This is really worth buying !! Get it !!!
P.S.
Congratulations to Hyperion for a wonderful choice of artwork ('Vasilisa the Beautiful' from Russian Fairy Tales (1899) by Ivan Bilibin). Icing on an
already delicious cake I think.
Offer Price: £11.99
Jason Hatton
October 2013
