December 19, 2018

  • Polar Opposite Clarinet Quintets

     

    Clarinet Quintets
    Mark Lieb, clarinet.
    Anna Urrey, flute.
    The Phoenix Ensemble:
    Igor Pikayzen and Regi Papa, violins.
    [Brahms] Kataryzyna Bryla, viola. Alice Yoo, cello;
    [Carter] Colin Brookes, viola. Caleb van der Swaagh, cello.
    Navona Records 6193
    Total Time:  59:18
    Recording:   ****/****
    Performance: ****/****

    Last year the Phoenix Ensemble released a fascinating album of music by two lesser known composers (Henri Marteau and Alexander Zemlinsky).  That program had threads that connected the composers and their work to Johannes Brahms (1833-1897).  In their new release, they have turned to Brahms’ own clarinet quintet (1891) and created an equally intriguing coupling of music by Elliot Carter (1908-2012).  Based in New York City, the group is notable for its engaging and diverse programming.  They are joined by clarinetist Mark Lieb.

    While there were a number of clarinet concertos over the previous 100 years, chamber works like Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet in b, Op. 115, were still fairly rare.  The most famous repertoire piece was Mozarts which Brahms used as the model for his own work.  The piece was composed for clarinetist Richard Muhlfeld who was a member of Meiningen Court Orchestra.  Brahms would create a trio and two sonatas for him in the coming years.  Its first performance was with the Joachim Quartet.  Joachim being, of course, the performer of the composer’s Violin Concerto.  The piece is in four movements and loves to waver between B-minor/major and the relative major (“D”).  It is most notable for its gorgeously-romantic slow movement, the Hungarian dance rhythms and set of variations in the finale.  Of course, that opening theme of the first movement, with its achingly beautiful line, captivates the listener from the start and opens up a gorgeous world of thematic development amid rich harmony and dramatic music making.  Mark Lieb’s warm sound works perfectly to communicate these lines.  The quartet equally breathes well with those moments of sighing that appear throughout the work being perfectly matched.  Some may feel that the first movement languishes just a tad too much.  In truth, most of the tempos here are more relaxed with a measured approach that results in the performance being on the slower side over all in comparison to most.  So, if one prefers the work in a brisker performance this will not be a first choice.  But there is something to be said for trying to emphasize the romanticism of the work in this way.  And it furthers the contrast with the pairings on the album.

    A brief work by Elliot Carter gets us ready for his quintet.  Esprit Rude/Esprit Doux (1985) was composed as a gift for Pierre Boulez.  It is for flute and clarinet with both instruments interwoven in an often light (for Carter) and playful work.

    The Clarinet Quintet (2007) is from a flurry of creativity towards the end of the composer’s life.  The five-movement work is filled with the sort of rhythmic complexities of intriguing metric modulations and polytempos.  The music seems less distracted by these aspects though as it moves toward its central adagio where an almost soulful moment shines through against moments of motivic random-sounding responses.  The tightly-knit piece is given an intense and committed performance here which is helped by a seemingly warmer acoustic than was captured in the Brahms.

    There is a lot of competition out there for the Brahms (nearly 100 recordings of the work).  The performance here is a good one, but most likely it is for the Carter that one will treasure this release as a great introduction to those works with the Brahms being a great palette cleanser.  The Carter quintet received a premiere release a few years ago shortly after its completion on Bridge Records.  So, this release gives listeners a chance to ease in to discovering the work of an important contemporary composer along with a classic repertoire piece.  To that end, it can be easily recommended as the Carter quintet is a fascinating work well performed here.