BaL 4.10.14 - Brahms: Piano Quartet no. 1 in G minor Op. 25

[Don Petter]

Ed: slightly disappointed not to have heard any extract from the Hollywood Quartet/Aller recording. I'm a great admirer of this quartet and at least one historical performance would have been good to hear.

I agree with you about the Hollywood. I suppose these days the Rubinstein (of which I never tire) counts as historical.

[amateur51]

I agree with you about the Hollywood. I suppose these days the Rubinstein (of which I never tire) counts as historical.

Idiotic notion, I say

[Nick Armstrong]

how did Gilels & Amadeus quartet fare?

There was talk along 'chalk with cheese' lines... At the risk of mixing gastronomic metaphors, the extracts did seem somewhat ham-fisted...

EDIT: I find I have on the shelf the Ax-Stern-Laredo-Ma performance (whose indistinct recorded sound led to its dismissal) and Serkin-Budapest. Any views on the latter, folks?

[aeolium]

I agree with you about the Hollywood. I suppose these days the Rubinstein (of which I never tire) counts as historical.

Though wasn't this recorded in the late 1960s (i.e. when Rubinstein was 80) and so in the stereo age? I tend to think of historical performances as being pre-stereo, and including recordings remastered from 78s.

[LeMartinPecheur]

I'll listen later to this but meanwhile ... how did Gilels & Amadeus quartet fare?

Mr Hewitt liked Mr Gilels but not Mr Brainin.

Don't know this particular recording but I agree in general!

[vinteuil]

... much enjoyed this BAL ; the Primrose and the Angelich/Capuçons/Caussé on order

[amateur51]

Mr Hewitt liked Mr Gilels but not Mr Brainin.

Don't know this particular recording but I agree in general!

Norbert Brainin's wobble was infamous, some find it easy to ignore, others don't.

[Don Petter]

Though wasn't this recorded in the late 1960s (i.e. when Rubinstein was 80) and so in the stereo age? I tend to think of historical performances as being pre-stereo, and including recordings remastered from 78s.

I agree with you! I just wondered if the reviewer thought that going back that far covered sufficient of a time range.

[visualnickmos]

Have to say that, though the 'winners' were excellent - faultless, in fact, to my ears it was actually too good! This seemed to leave me a bit cold. Wheras some of the other extracts had a bit of edge, one way or another.

A possible analogy might be this; modern cars are pretty much all good in most respects; comfortable, smooth, warm, reliable, but one make is really very much like another with virtually nothing to distinguish one from another. But in days gone past (60s and 70s) all the brands had there own character and style and individuality - even down to the sound of the engine in many cases. Some were a bit noisy, some a bit iffy-looking, etc but all had personality.

The winners today were a modern car, some of the others competing were older and much-loved models.

Sorry if this sounds a bit nuts!

[BBMmk2]

The recording of Ax, Stern, Laredo and Ma, didn't get anywhere, then? Which I think is a great shame. Who won?

[LeMartinPecheur]

bbm #40:

... much enjoyed this BAL ; the Primrose and the Angelich/Capuçons/Caussé on order

[verismissimo]

... I'm going to hear it in a couple of hours time in the parish church at Deddington, Oxfordshire, played by:

Lucy Gould, Sophie Renshaw, Kate Gould and Viv McLean

These fine musicians played it very well at the concert, but it made me realise that, using a modern Steinway with modern string setup makes the whole thing far too loud, the piano dominating. Of course, this effect can be ameliorated in the recording studio, and more so at home with the volume knob!

But it's better dealt with using an appropriate piano together with gut-stringed strings.

[rauschwerk]

I have heard a performance using a Steinway in which the balance was perfectly satisfactory. I have heard Melvyn Tan play the Dvorak quintet (lid fully open, balance perfect), and Tim Horton the Mendelssohn D minor trio (lid removed!, balance perfect). So it can be done.

[french frank]

it made me realise that, using a modern Steinway with modern string setup makes the whole thing far too loud, the piano dominating.

I think that's why this chamber repertoire with piano has never appealed to me as much as strings only or plus woodwind.

Discovered the Rubinstein/Guarneri box among some inherited stuff and was playing last night as part of my Brahms Experience (hadn't previously taken any notice of this thread!). Even (?) with Rubinstein I remain ambivalent about the combination.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

So it can be done.

Yes, it can - but more rehearsal time is spent "getting the balance right" when the performers use 20th Century pianos rather than those for which the composers wrote. (Especially if the piano at the venue is one more suited to the Rachmaninoff concertos than to chamber Music.)