Schubert: String Quintet; Quartettsatz

by The Brodsky Quartet, Laura van der Heijden

Overview

This release by The Brodsky Quartet, with the young cellist Laura van der Heijden, marks the quartet's 50th anniversary; remarkably, there are still two original members. One would expect a landmark performance, and that is what listeners get. It is a restrained reading, free of the cello growls that marked classic recordings by Pablo Casals and Mstislav Rostropovich; this is a matter of taste but may be preferable. The most remarkable aspect is the treatment of the slow movement and of the second subjects in the opening Allegro ma non troppo and the Allegretto finale. The players take just the slightest amount of time in these, and it may require more than one hearing to grasp what they are doing. The result is a really delicate, ethereal feel that downplays the dance element. It is a fresh interpretation by one of the best chamber ensembles in the business. Bringing down the curtain is the single-movement Quartettsatz, D. 703, and here, the ensemble hikes the energy for a brisk finale. The coordination these players have developed over the decades is on full display everywhere, and this recording should become a cornerstone of chamber music libraries. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	10/07/2022
Label:	Chandos
UPC:	0095115197820
Rank:	185127

Tracks

1. Quintet, Op. post. 163, D 956 in C major for two violins, viola, and two cellos~Allegro ma non troppo
2. Quintet, Op. post. 163, D 956 in C major for two violins, viola, and two cellos~Adagio
3. Quintet, Op. post. 163, D 956 in C major for two violins, viola, and two cellos~Scherzo. Presto - Trio. Andante sostenuto - Tempo I - Scherzo da capo
4. Quintet, Op. post. 163, D 956 in C major for two violins, viola, and two cellos~Allegretto - Pi¿¿ allegro - Pi¿¿ presto
5. Quartet, D 703 'Quartettsatz' in C minor for two violins, viola, and cello

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Brodsky Quartet   Primary Artist,String Quartet
Laura van der Heijden   Primary Artist,Cello

Technical Credits

Franz Schubert   Composer
Adrian Peacock   Editing,Recording Producer
Brian Newbould   Liner Notes
Finn S. Gundersen   Booklet Editor
Andreas Klatt   Liner Note Translation
Ralph Couzens   Executive Producer
Marianne Fernee   Liner Note Translation
Sue Shortridge   A&R
David Hinitt   Engineer
Cass Cassidy   Design,Typesetting
The Brodsky Quartet   Liner Notes
Friedrich Gauermann   Drawing
Sarah Cresswell   Photography
Olivia Da Costa   Photography
Alexander James   Mastering,Photography
Dolores Iglesias   Photography