BaL 17.04.21 - Schumann: Piano Quintet in E flat

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30am
Building a Library
Katy Hamilton joins Andrew to discuss different recordings of Schumann's Piano Quintet in E flat.

Schumann composed the piece in 1842. It is an energetic, life-affirming work and is seen as one of his finest works, and a significant milestone in the history of the piano quintet.

Available versions:-


David Abbott, Swiss Chamber Soloists*
Leif Ove Andsnes, Artemis Quartet *
Martha Argerich, Dora Schwarzberg, Renaud Capuçon, Romanoff-Schwarzberg, Mark Dobrinskji
Martha Argerich, Lucy Hall , Dora Schwarzberg, Nobuko Imai, Mischa Maisky *
Bernard D’Ascoli, Schidlof Quartet
Emanuel Ax, Donald Wallerstein, Peter Salaff, Atar Arad, Paul Katz *
Jang Eun Bae, Alliage Quartet (SACD)
Maurizio Baglini, Quartetto della Scala *
Artur Balsam, Budapest String Quartet
Jozef de Beenhouwer, Panocha Quartet *
Benvenue Fortepiano Trio
Maria Bergmann, Beetz-Quartett *
Leonard Bernstein, Juilliard Quartet
Idil Biret, Borusan Quartet
Jonathan Biss, Elias String Quartet *
Richard Burnett , Fitzwilliam String Quartet
Penelope Crawford, Atlantis Ensemble *
Penelope Crawford, Atlantis Ensemble *
Clifford Curzon, Budapest String Quartet
Konstanze Eickhorst, Carmina Quartet *
Philippe Entremont, Alban Berg Quartett
Edith Farnadi, Vienna Konzerthaus Quartet *
Peter Frankl, Lindsay String Quartet
La Gaia Scienza
Christophe Gaugue, Catherine Montier,Trio Wanderer
Paul Gulda, Hagen Quartett
Marc-André Hamelin, Takács Quartet
Conrad Hansen, Amadeus Quartet
Endre Hegedus, Bartok Quartet *
Dame Myra Hess, Isaac Stern, Alexander Schneider, Milton Thomas, Paul Tortelier *
Jean Hubeau, Nova Quartet
Jeno Jando, Kodaly Quartet
Igor Kamenz, Delian Quartet
Martin Kasik, Wihan Quartet
Honggi Kim, Bretón String Quarte
Zoltan Kocsis, Takacs Quartet *
Tobias Koch, Pleyel Quartett Köln
Paul Komen, Rubio String Quartet
Alicia de Larrocha, Tokyo String Quartet,
Peter Laul, Ilya Gringolts, Anahit Kurtikyan, Silvia Simonescu, Claudius Hermann
James Levine, Walter Levin, Henry Meyer, Peter Kamnitzer, Lee Fiser
James Levine, LaSalle Quartet (SACD)
Daniel Levy, Zürich String Quartet *
Anna Malikova, Belenus Quartet *
Stéphane De May, Philippe Koch, Damien Pardoen, Pierre-Henri Xuereb, Luc Tooten
Alexander Melnikov, Jerusalem Quartet *
Michelangelo Piano Quartet, Antonio De Secondi
Nils Anders Mortensen, Engegård Quartet
Peter Orth, Auryn Quartet
Peter Orth, Auryn Quartet (DVD)
Maria João Pires
Jean-Bernard Pommier, Quatuor Bernede *
Menahem Pressle, Samuel Rhodes, Beaux Arts Trio
Menahem Pressler, Emerson Quartet *
Menahem Pressler, Pacifica Quartet
Thomas Rajna, Alberni String Quartet
Sviatoslav Richter, Borodin Quartet
Arthur Rubinstein, Arnold Steinhardt, John Dalley, Michael Tree, David Soyer *
Eric Le Sage, Gordan Nikolitch, Daishin Kashimoto, Lise Bertaud, François Salque
Pnina Salzman, Tel Aviv String Quartet
Fazil Say, Casal Quartet
Elie Robert Schmitz, New York Philharmonic String Quartet *
Artur Schnabel, Pro Arte Quartet
Schubert Ensemble of London
Rudolf Serkin, Budapest String Quartet
Rudolf Serkin, Gösta Andreasson, Adolf Busch, Karl Doktor, Hermann Busch *
Christoph Soldan, Daniel Rehfeldt, Yuki Mukai, Igor Michalski, Hugo Rannou *
Gyula Stuller, Quatuor Schumann
Kyoko Tabe, Carmina Quartet
Uriel Tsachor, Amati Quartet *
Lars Vogt, Christian Tetzlaff, Radoslav Szulc, Tatjana & Claudio Bohorquez
Xiayin Wang, Fine Arts Quartet
Warsaw Piano Quintet *
Peter Waters, Aulos Quartet
Earl Wild
Klára Würtz, Daniel Quartet
Joyce Yang, Alexander String Quartet *
Christian Zacharias, Cherubini-Quartett *
Christian Zacharias, Leipzig String Quartet

(* = download only)

[Joseph K]

Menahem Pressler with the Emerson Quartet for me. Surprised to see it's download only now.

[Wolfram]

This was last covered in BaL in 2008, and then before that in 2000, whereas the Brahms quintet hasn't been visited at all since 1999. I know the selection of works has as much do with how the discography of a piece has changed in the time since it was last done as it does the time interval itself, but nevertheless, if you are going to do a romantic piano quintet surely the Brahms deserves an outing after 22 years, and whatsmore Kay Hamilton is a Brahms specialist too I believe.

[rauschwerk]

The Brahms was covered last October!

[richardfinegold]

Menahem Pressler with the Emerson Quartet for me. Surprised to see it's download only now.

Yes, glad I have theCDI also have the Pacifica Qt recording, which is better. My Fleisher seems to be out of the catalog, but Jando and the Kodaly, bless them are still kicking

[BBMmk2]

Yikes! Another marathon! How do these reviewers get through all these, without fatigue of the work setting in? I’m interested in this BaL, because, I don’t have much of Schumann’s chamber works.

[gurnemanz]

For many years I have been enjoying the Beaux Arts and friends on a well-known twofer.

A couple of years ago I got a very good disc of Schumann piano duets which includes Clara Schumann’s 1857 arrangement of the Quintet ("World Premiere Recording"). It is excellently performed and well worth while in itself but also for shedding new light on the work.

[Ein Heldenleben]

One thing that strikes me is how many great pianists either haven’t recorded the work or , if they have , the recording is no longer available - Brendel, Perahia , Horowitz (one of the great Schumann pianists), Cortot (ditto) , Horszowski (ditto)....
There are some very intriguing names though Bernstein and Levine for example .Maybe some of the greats didn’t rate it - or , to be more accurate, their role in it ? . I wonder if the piano writing lacks some of the wonders of Kreisleriana or the Fanatasie . It’s very “blocky” in places and by Schumann standards a bit obvious. The pianist hardly gets a bar’s break though , apart from the Scherzo , it’s not ridiculously difficult.

[Pulcinella]

Schumann composed the piece in 1842. It is an energetic, life-affirming work and is seen as one of his finest works, and a significant milestone in the history of the piano quintet.

I hadn't realised (until I read in the liner notes of the only version of this I have on my shelves: the BBC MM CD with Jonathan Biss and the Jerusalem Quartet) that this was the work that effectively established the form of the Piano Quintet as piano plus string quartet.


Some information about the development of the piano quintet is given in this Wiki article:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_quintet

[LMcD]

The pianist in the Schubert Ensemble of London's recording is William Howard. I guess that, for some people, the coupling will be a consideration - in this case it's the Piano Quartet.
There's also a fine BBC Music Magazine recording with Jonathan Biss and the Jerusalem Quartet. In this case the other works are Papillons and the Opus 73 Fantasiestucke.

[Bryn]

The Richard Burnett, Fitzwilliam String Quartet performance on Amon Ra will do for me. Yet another Steves's Sounds pot luck bargain discovery. This was probably the first HIPP recording (contrary to the bogus Chanfos claim re their Michelangelo Piano Quartet +1 turn of century recording).

[Wolfram]

The Brahms was covered last October!

Was it!? B****r! Mucho (Easter) egg on face!

[Wolfram]

The Brahms was covered last October!

Oh yes. Schiff with the Takacs. Sorry.

[Wolfram]

Menahem Pressler with the Emerson Quartet for me. Surprised to see it's download only now.

Pressler/Emersons
Curzon/Budapest

[MickyD]

The Richard Burnett, Fitzwilliam String Quartet performance on Amon Ra will do for me. Yet another Steves's Sounds pot luck bargain discovery. This was probably the first HIPP recording (contrary to the bogus Chanfos claim re their Michelangelo Piano Quartet +1 turn of century recording).

Interesting you rate it so well, Bryn. I have most of Burnett's other early piano discs, but not that one. Now you've got me interested.