Robert Schumann: Piano Quartet & Quintet

by Isabelle Faust, Anne Katharina Schreiber, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Antoine Tamestit

Overview

Violinist Isabelle Faust and fortepianist Alexander Melnikov have been accumulating a catalog of distinctive historical performances of Schumann. Here, they turn to the composer's most famous chamber works, the Piano Quartet in E flat major, Op. 47, and Piano Quintet in E flat major, Op. 44, bringing on board violist Antoine Tamestit, cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras, and violinist Anne Katharina Schreiber in the Piano Quintet. Despite the common key and the fact that the two works were written just a few weeks apart, they're quite different, and one strength of these performances is that the players catch the difference. The Piano Quartet is quiet and inward, with Faust's "Sleeping Beauty" Stradivarius purring in the opening Sostenuto assai passage. The slow movement of this work gets a performance of rare lyricism here. The Piano Quintet looks forward to a more public, orchestral kind of chamber music, and the players succeed in transforming the entire sound environment of the music, aided immeasurably by Harmonia's engineers. The music was recorded at the small hall of the German federal youth music academy in Trossingen, and this is a superb space for the music. Of interest far beyond historical performance circles, these are wonderful performances of Schumann's major chamber works. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	11/24/2023
Label:	Harmonia Mundi
UPC:	3149020947425
Rank:	2119

Tracks

1. Piano Quartet Op. 47 E-flat major~I. Sostenuto assai - Allegro ma non troppo
2. Piano Quartet Op. 47 E-flat major~II. Scherzo. Molto vivace
3. Piano Quartet Op. 47 E-flat major~III. Andante cantabile
4. Piano Quartet Op. 47 E-flat major~IV. Finale. Vivace
5. Piano Quintet Op. 44 E-flat major~I. Allegro brillante
6. Piano Quintet Op. 44 E-flat major~II. In modo d'una Marcia. Un poco largamente
7. Piano Quintet Op. 44 E-flat major~III. Scherzo. Molto vivace
8. Piano Quintet Op. 44 E-flat major~IV. Allegro ma non troppo

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Anne Katharina Schreiber   Primary Artist,Violin
Antoine Tamestit   Primary Artist,Viola
Isabelle Faust   Primary Artist,Violin
Jean-Guihen Queyras   Primary Artist,Cello
Alexander Melnikov   Fortepiano

Technical Credits

Roman Hinke   Liner Notes
Paul Klee   Cover Art
Julien Mignot   Photography
Charles Johnston   Liner Note Translation
Marco Borggreve   Photography
Robert Schumann   Composer
Ignace Joseph Pleyel   Instrument Design
Jean-Francois Boukobza   Liner Notes
Antonio Stradivari   Instrument Design
Stephan Cahen   Editing,Engineer,Mastering,Artistic Director
Christoph Kern   Piano Technician
Foppe Schut   Photography
Gioffredo Cappa   Instrument Design
Kaling Hanke   Editing