October 20, 2017

  • Re-imagining Mozart & Beethoven

     Mozart/Beethoven: Violin & Cello Duos

    Boris Abramov, violin. Carmine Miranda, cello.
    Navona Records 6118
    Total Time:  77:32
    Recording:   ****/****
    Performance: ****/****

    With a fine Schumann/Dvorak release, and as one of the youngest cellists to record the Bach suites, Carmine Miranda turns to the music of Mozart and Beethoven for this new Navona release.  Lest one think that some new musicological discoveries have been unearthed, this release of duos are arrangements for violin and cello.  Boris Abramov is the violinist here.  He is currently on the faculty of Columbus State University.

    Perhaps at first glance one might balk at the “rewriting” of Mozart or Beethoven.  It was not uncommon into the latter 18th Century for chamber music to be available for different combinations of instruments, but the practice that had been “normal” through the previous 200 years was beginning to change as composers focused on exploring the capabilities of the improving instruments and virtuosi of the time.  In Mozart’s case, the String Duos, K. 423/4 (1783) were dashed off for the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg.  They were included in a set by Michael Haydn to see whether or not the Archbishop could detect any difference.  Michael Haydn’s music, as adept as his more famous brother, maintains a classical poise and tends to be more cautious.  Mozart’s duos, originally for violin and viola, are mostly “safe” structurally, but brought the two instruments more closely to an even footing.  One can also hear in the opening allegro of K. 423 the somewhat Baroque-like counterpoint that Mozart tended to blend into the more typical phraseology and structure of developing Classical style.  The slow movements are likely where one gets a better glimpse of the melodic and lyrical beauty of Mozart with the outer movements providing some flashes of wit.  The central slow movement of K. 424 has some quite exquisite harmonic turns that one finds in the quartets.

    Though the rich quality of the viola is one of the interesting components of these duos, the shift to cello will likely fluster purists.  It is certainly aided by Miranda’s excellent lyrical playing here in the upper register.  Abramov also has a fine command of this music.  The performances work rather well with those slow movements really be the highlight of this recording.

    Beethoven wrote three duos for clarinet and bassoon (WoO 27)which were published in 1815, but more likely written earlier.  The composer had hoped to study with Mozart but the latter died before that occurred and so had to work from whatever published music was available to him.  At least one of the duos bears a key similarity.  While in terms of register, the shift to strings here is not a big leap, but here is more a case where the original lets us here Beethoven seeing what the clarinet can do and we might even be so bold to think he was interested in these particular wind colors for a reason.  That said, these arrangements allow us to hear this music in this new light.  We can glimpse some of the possible similarities between what Beethoven was trying to “copy” in terms of counterpoint and line.  The arrangement has been filled in a bit to allow for some double stops and string-specific effects that help with the shift to the strings here.  Both performers feel very comfortable here in this music with the interactions making the music even more enjoyable.  This comes through quite well in the final rondeau of the C-Major Duo.  The ”aria” slow movement for the F-Major duo is also quite beautiful.

    The balance here is excellent.  Sometimes the cello line might be a bit too much bass, but this is easily remedied and more an issue of taste.  It is most noticeable in the Mozart, and nonexistent in the Beethoven.  The album notes that these are performances made without edit.  This is equally impressive as it gives the listener a chance to hear essentially a “live” concert without the extraneous noise.  But more importantly, it allows us to hear the longer shape of these pieces unfold in real time.  The result is that the architectural shape of the music is clear and the repeated sections have that sense of just slight variation that comes in live performance in a good way.