BaL 10.10.20 - Brahms: Piano Quintet in F minor

[Darloboy]

Yes, I did think afterwards that perhaps it wasn't the best place at which to make this comment! But there does seem to have been a narrowing down in the range of work covered over the last couple of years. And there's plenty of works with multiple recordings that haven't been covered at all in the time I've been listening to BaL.

And I've just seen that Pergolesi's Stabat Mater will be the programme on 24 October - for the 4th time since I've been a listener!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Does this suggest it's not much of a popular favourite, compared say with the Dvorak or the Trout Quintet?

Piano quintets are something I "do" from time to time. There aren't many of them about, even though there are pianists and string quartet's galore. It's odd that Schubert's is the most popular, despite having different instrumentation (which means I've never played it, as string quartets with double basses are as rare as an honest politician).

[visualnickmos]

That awful barked bravo at the end of the Curzon / Amadeus really ruins it for me. I bet shouty man was planning that from halfway through the final movt. From what I heard today it's Schiff / Takacs for me but I am biased because after AS's magnificent Wigmore Beethoven recital this week as far as i am concerned everything he touches turns to musical gold.

I absolutely agree. That idiotic behaviour does indeed, TOTALLY WRECK the listening experience - whether live, or a recording, as happened to me after a relaxed evening of listening, in a tough patch for me at the moment. I forget which CD it was, but it riled me, and all my anxiety returned in that blink of an eye.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Piano quintets is something I "do" from time to time. There aren't many of them about, even though there are pianists and string quartet's galore. It's odd that Schubert's is the most popular, despite having different instrumentation (which means I've never played it, as string quartets with double basses are as rare as an honest politician).

isn’t the double bass part of the Trout quite easy ? The piano part is very fiddly...(no disrespect to violinists)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

isn’t the double bass part of the Trout quite easy ? The piano part is very fiddly...(no disrespect to violinists)

Apparently so. Zubin Mehta played it on the Christopher Nupen film, even though it wasn't his first instrument.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Ashkenazy/Cleveland was the first example played, and then allowed a second go later. No explanation of why it didn’t make the final reckoning.

Apologies, Mr Goon! My mention of this recording followed its brief favourable mentions in the programme and was intended to mean that I couldn't find any mention of it in Penguins, and didn't recall it from the likes of Gramophone, BaL etc.

Or in record shops come to that: does anyone else remember them?

[Alison]

Ashkenazy/Cleveland was the first example played, and then allowed a second go later. No explanation of why it didn’t make the final reckoning.

This might be my resulting purchase, VA won me over with his sensitivity.

I fear he has fallen susceptible to what I call Neville Marriner syndrome: once highly lauded and now overlooked too easily.

[Alison]

This recording has completely passed me by.

[Pulcinella]

...
FWIW I was rather shocked to find I don't have it on CD, not even a BBC MM as far as I can see. Have they never done it?
...

See post #8.
Twice!
Volume 15, Number 11 (July 2007): Kirshbaum et al (Music@Menlo)
Volume 24, Number 11 (August 2016): Hadland/Signum Quartet

[jayne lee wilson]

Piano quintets are something I "do" from time to time. There aren't many of them about, even though there are pianists and string quartet's galore. It's odd that Schubert's is the most popular, despite having different instrumentation (which means I've never played it, as string quartets with double basses are as rare as an honest politician).

IN fact there was an excellent thread on Piano Quintets not so long ago, a search should bring it up......there are some wonderful very recondite examples of the genre, including Enescu, Martinu, Florent Schmitt and Schnittke, not to mention the DSCH of course....these are all among the composers' best music.

(I'll come back after hearing the BaL later....after the usual Any-Q Any-A routine....it used to be all Brexit, now its all...well, you know).

Quick Query - were either Ironwood or La Gaia Scienza mentioned...?

[Bryn]

IN fact there was an excellent thread on Piano Quintets not so long ago, a search should bring it up......there are some wonderful very recondite examples of the genre, including Enescu, Martinu, Florent Schmitt and Schnittke, not to mention the DSCH of course....these are all among the composers' best music.

(I'll come back after hearing the BaL later....after the usual Any-Q Any-A routine....it used to be all Brexit, now its all...well, you know).

Quick Query - were either Ironwood or La Gaia Scienza mentioned...?

Of course not. They would be too close to what Brahms was aiming at.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

IN fact there was an excellent thread on Piano Quintets not so long ago, a search should bring it up...

This one?

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?17376-Piano-Quintets&highlight=piano+quintets

[gurnemanz]

IMHO a distinctly odd BaL and an odd set of three final choices as already noted, but a bit of digging around in old Penguin and EMG guides suggests this is an odd work altogether in terms or recordings.

Was looking forward but as with last week I found myself only half listening (might have been my fault - "Pay attention at the back!) so have probably not earned the right to comment, but I have four recordings and was not moved to get another one.

Re record guides, you prompted me out of curiosity to dig out my "1001 Recordings to hear before you Die", and the main recommendation was Rubinstein/Guarnieri, which others and I mentioned above. Also recommended there: Borodin Quartet/Eliso Virsaladze, Kodaly Quartet/Jeno Jando on Naxos and interestingly the piano duet version with Ax and Bronfman which I didn't know about and might seek out.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Re record guides, you prompted me out of curiosity to dig out my "1001 Recordings to hear before you Die", and the main recommendation was Rubinstein/Guarnieri, which others and I mentioned above.

Thanks for the nudge, Gurnemanz. I'd forgotten to look in my recently-acquired Rubinstein big Brahms box, an incredible bargain https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rubinstein-...2337404&sr=8-1

[MickyD]

Probably the wrong thread, but did anyone else listen on to the reviews with Mark Simpson? I thought this was awful, he seemed to have a very limited critical vocabulary, used ‘fantastic’ at least six times, very reluctant to say anything negative, and ‘ummed and aaahed’ throughout. Obviously very nervous, probably hus first time broadcasting anything of this nature, but seemed way out of his ‘critical’ depth.

I'm glad you mentioned this - my thoughts were exactly the same. Though I am often critical of AMG, on this occasion his presence was very much needed!