Chausson’s scoring for his “Concerto for Violin, Piano, and String Quartet” makes it unique in the chamber music repertoire. And using the title “Concerto” rather than “Sextet,” relates the piece to the Baroque Concerto Grosso, in which solo instruments (in this instance, two) often ‘contend with’ the quartet. Yet Chausson’s intricate counterpoint also requires six mostly equal voices – the work is a brilliantly assembled hybrid form.
Check offers of this album on Amazon.
During the slow introduction, the playing signals a boldly conceived performance, which embraces a wide range of colors, articulation, and dynamics. The writing is highly virtuosic, most especially for the piano, though La Sage makes light work of it. Violinist Daishin Kashimoto plays the chromatically winding violin line with a ripe tone and expressive freedom, and even with a generous sense of rubato, these six players never lose their firm grasp of the movement’s structure.
The charmingly lyrical Sicilienne serves as a brief palette cleanser between the sprawling first movement and a darkly morose Grave. I felt the players could have relaxed a bit more, a less intense approach may have produced a more affecting inward-looking character. The Grave’s opening builds an atmosphere of unease – about midway through light begins to break through the darkness, but then the writing becomes increasingly chromatic and agitated, ending with a Coda that negates any sense of hope.
The Finale calls forth a different emotional world, its extroverted showy writing surprisingly light and playful, at least as played here. The players chart the emotional difficulties of the music with great sensitivity and emotional depth. I sampled the recording with Joshua Bell, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and the Takács Quartet, which is more emotionally neutral, and therefore less affecting than this new reading, while Decca’s brightly lit, analytical recording cannot match the richness of Sony’s engineering.
Vierne’s Quintet, new to me, proved a revelation; This is intensely autobiographical music, following a horrific period in the composer’s life. La Sage and the Schumann Quartett are fully invested in uncovering every aspect of the emotional story. They establish a numbed sense of loss immediately, and they unerringly chart the various stages of grief with a raw honestly that held me spellbound. The second subject, played by the cello, is particularly touching.
The opening of the second movement brings a brief respite, suggesting some level of acceptance has been reached. But then we hear the first of several outbursts where the pain washes over the composer (and us) anew. The final Maestoso is another emotional rollercoaster, its angry and turbulent music sometimes answered by moments of calm that nevertheless feel empty. In the final minute, the music again becomes increasingly agitated, the ending offering no real resolution or healing. Expressive intensity never slackens, because the players use their technical accomplishment to fully convey the agonized emotions of the composer.
Informative notes by Irène Mejia, and Sony’s excellent engineering make this a first-class release in every way – urgently recommended.
Recommended Comparisons
Chausson – Joshua Bell & Jean-Yves Thibaudet | Denk & Kim
Vierne – Lane & Goldner Quartert | Lemelin & Arthur Leblanc Quartet
Album Details |
|
|---|---|
| Album name | Concert de Chausson & Quintette de Vierne |
| Label | Sony Classical |
| Catalogue No. | G010005346434X |
| Amazon Music link | Stream here |
| Apple Music link | Stream here |
Included with an Apple Music subscription:
Latest Classical Music Posts
