None of these works appeared in print in Bruch’s lifetime, all published posthumously. The harmonic language is deeply rooted in the late Romantic German tradition. Using classical structures, the entire aesthetic owes much to Brahms, with influences of Mendelssohn. Bruch’s string quintets are scored for the same combination as Brahms’ — two violins, two violas, and cello. However, Bruch’s are more serious, more akin in mood to Brahms’ sextets.
The WDR Sinfonieorchester Chamber Players follow the same program design as The Nash Ensemble’s highly acclaimed recordings, but the players of the former group have an altogether different chemistry. Whereas the WDR Sinfonieorchester Chamber Players have an orchestral balance, with greater sensitivity to each other, The Nash Ensemble take each of the lines in a more soloistic fashion, which shines a different light on the textures and emotions of these pieces.
What is immediately obvious is the different tones and colors of both ensembles. A warmer, richer, more orchestral palette radiates from the WDR Players. The autumnal mellowness is more obvious in the lower strings, especially when compared to the more austere sound of The Nash Ensemble cellists. The WDR Sinfonieorchester Chamber Players play with more vibrato, which is sympathetic to the overall style without sounding dated or sugary.
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Tempo choices are bold, ensuring there is much contrast to savior. The outer movements of the E-flat quintet are marked unusually as ‘andante con moto’ (walking pace with motion); these are paced insightfully, making the entire musical journey feel complete. The darker opening movement of the A minor quintet has a greater urgency about it, while the bright second movement, with its Mendelssohnian or Haydnesque humor, is celebrated. The third movement has a buoyancy, in which the playing of Ye Wu (first violin) and Susanne Eychmüller (cello) is particularly noteworthy. The vitality the five players bring to the final movement is radiant and uplifting.
The Octet for four violins, two violas, cello and double bass, has an almost orchestral richness, with a sonority but sweetness of tone. The chemistry and unity between the players are equally as strong as in the preceding two quintets, in which they fully realize the different and contrasting moods in each of the work’s three movements. This performance doesn’t have the same power struggles or intensity as The Nash Ensemble, with their bigger musical personalities, but a more homogeneous whole which makes this new performance preferable overall.
The booklet is informative and complements the recording appropriately (the individual musicians of the WDR Sinfonieorchester Chamber Players are all credited). The recordings were made in Cologne, the quintets in Philharmonie and the Octet in Klaus-von-Bismarck-Saal in WDR Funkhaus. The recording and engineering is of high quality, with no obvious distinction between the two locations.
This is by no means Bruch’s finest music, but the persuasion, precision and complete conviction with which the WDR Players deliver these performances are commendable. They certainly bring something very different to The Nash Ensemble, making this an interesting comparable listen.
Max Bruch:
String Quintet in E Flat Major, Op. Posth
String Quintet in a Minor, Op. Posth
String Octet in B Flat Major, Op. Posth
WDR Sinfonieorchester Chamber Players:
Ye Wu – Violin 1
Cristian-Paul Suvaiala – Violin 2 (Quintets) & Violin 3 (Octet)
Sara Etelävuori – Violin 2 (Octet)
Georgeta-Ioana Iordache – Violin 4 (Octet)
Tomasz Neugebauer – Viola 1 (Quintet in E Flat Major & Octet) & Viola 2 (String Quintet in a Minor)
Mischa Pfeiffer – Viola 1 (Quintet in a Minor) & Viola 2 (Quintet in E Flat Major & Octet)
Susanne Eychmüller – Cello
Michael Geismann – Double Bass (Octet)
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