CD Review: Visions (EnAccord string quartet) Etcetera KTC1691

Visions is the second recording made by the all-female Dutch EnAccord string quartet. It follows the format of their previous release by presenting a varied programme of ‘gems from the quartet literature’, as the albums subtitle terms it. That is no understatement either, as there are some rarely performed gems deserving of a wider audience included here. The repertoire varies from Purcell to Mendelssohn, Lekeu, Maddelena Sirmen and Elizabeth Maconchy. Selected movements of Prokofiev’s Visions Fugitives, sensitively arranged for string quartet by Sergei Samsonov, intersperse the other pieces to run through the recording as a spine of interludes that are quirky, humorous or ferocious in their turn. The mood of each is judged appositely by the quartet.

Several of the works recorded here present their composer’s viewpoints on writing for a string quartet within one or two movements. Purcell’s Chacony in G minor begins the recital, full voiced and aware of the intricacies of instrumental interplay at work; yet a sense of veiled melancholy is never far from the surface. Guillaume Lekeu’s single movement Meditation is the most extensive single movement work included here. Initially there are potential links with the ambiance of Purcell’s Chacony that might be inferred, however the EnAccord string quartet clearly love this music (as do I) and play Lekeu’s passionate outpouring for all it is worth. A shaping of line, a feeling for sonority and acknowledgement of emotion are all present in the playing. Elizabeth Maconchy’s third string quartet, written in a single movement of five linked sections, has been described as ‘a psychological thriller in which four instruments disagree heartily’. There is indeed something quite Hitchcockian to the way their characters are played off against one another or the tension is slowly ratcheted up throughout its duration. Most involving, and one suspects, as interesting to play as to listen to.

Venetian-born Maddelena Sirmen (1745-1818) wrote the second of her six string quartets in just two movements. The Andantino first movement is charming, refined and, like the Allegro which follows it, is written with considerable skill. The EnAccord players bring out the inner passions of the music and imbue it with a sense of light and shade that benefits it greatly, as does the players’ ability to layer individual instrumental lines to build beautiful sonorities. Felix Mendelssohn’s seventh string quartet, also in two movements, presents another take on a compacted quartet form. The theme and variations first movement is almost Schubertian in its artfulness, whilst the second movement recaptures the brilliance of Mendelssohn’s own youth.

The admirable EnAccord string quartet are captured in a recording that presents them in faultless sound: Ilka van der Plasa and Helena Druwé’s violins are bright yet never over-steely of tone, Rosalinde Kluck’s viola carries a hue of caramel richness, whilst Maike Reisener’s cello is warm and supportive of the quartet’s overall sound. The liner notes by Koen Uvin are serviceable yet not too extensive on each work. In short, this is an interesting programme by a young quartet intent on broadening the repertoire beyond the standard fare. They play it all with style and conviction, so this recording is very warmly recommended.

Looking to the future, the EnAccord quartet may wish to record further selections of bon-bons from the literature, but complete cycles of the Sirmen and Maconchy string quartets would be good to have. Whilst there are recorded cycles available, they are either in less-than-ideal recorded sound or are now hard to obtain.

CD Review: Callaerts / Ryelandt piano trios (Ryelandt Trio) Etcetera KTC1730

There are several notable Belgian piano trios in the repertoire, such as those by César Franck, written in the early to mid-nineteenth century, and those by Joseph Jongen and Guillaume Lekeu, written in the closing decade of the century. The single piano trio by Joseph Callaerts (1838-1901) dates from 1892, whilst the two works for the genre by Joseph Ryelandt (1870-1965) are from 1915 and 1944.

Joseph Callaerts’ was for much of his working life the organist at the cathedral in Antwerp, the city of his birth. Unsurprising, organ compositions form the bulk of his output, alongside some piano and chamber pieces. The piano trio was awarded a prize by the Belgian Royal Academy, but after some popularity fell from public view after the composer’s death. This world premiere recording of the work finally brings it to modern audience. What an imposing piece it is, too.  Cast in four movements, each around five minutes’ duration, it is very much in the late Romantic mould. The opening movement begins with a smouldering intent of the intricately written pages that flow from the initial thematic ideas. The second movement lives up to its cantabile marking, as it proves to be a lyrical outpouring of some delicacy. The third movement scherzo is in a somewhat jocular vein, whilst tensions are brought to a head in the energetic finale. I find the Ryelandt Trio’s performance a totally compelling one. Their use of period instruments achieves a textural blend that is most beguiling in the second and third movements. Pieter-Jan Verhoyen’s playing of the 1898 Erard concert grand anchors the entire performance, whilst the glowing tone of Pieter-Jan De Smet’s 1725 Ambroise de Combie cello provides unobtrusive warmth against the elegant tone of Jeroen De Beer’s 1805 Pique violin.

Joseph Ryelandt’s two trios date from 1915 and 1944 respectively. The first trio, written during his confinement to Bruges during the First World War, has two movements, but each is substantial. The opening Allegro con moto movement has a nervous character initially, from which more passionate emotions emerge at length. It is in these later passages that the trio really takes flight, but the players of the Ryelandt Trio are evidentially masters at sustaining a musical argument convincingly throughout its many ebbs and flows. The second movement Andante embodies the ambiance of profound romance, delightfully played by violin and piano before the cello enters and a set of variations ensue.

Ryelandt’s second trio is more conventionally written in three movements. The opening movement, a rolling Allegro, shows a comfort with the trio form that perhaps was occasionally missing from Ryelandt’s first trio. The middle movement Largo is the heart of the piece and it very much wears its heart on its sleeve: the Trio bring out the contrasting emotions with winning candour and ease of expression in their fluent phrasing. The forthright final movement concludes the trio in relatively short order, yet with a careful ear for sonority throughout.

Ryelandt’s slender three-minute Canon en Trio, op.70, written for his eldest three children in 1918, is presented almost as a coda to the three major works on this recording. Not musically challenging, the simplicity of the interwoven lines in this gentle Andante movement draws this release to a comforting conclusion.

The recording is admirably clear with a sense of space around the instruments, which allows the individual sonorities to blend beautifully. The liner note by David Vergauwen usefully sets the scene regarding both composers and the works performed, however the lack of a structural analysis of Ryelandt’s second trio – only a brief performance history is given – might be something of an omission when a structural overview is provided for the other pieces.

Following listening to this release, I am tempted to explore Ryelandt’s instrumental writing further – another Etcetera label release featuring the Terra Nova Collective or a volume on Toccata Classics featuring the De la Haye Ensemble would seem good places to start, particularly as they do not duplicate the recorded repertoire. For now, though, the present release of piano trios proves more than worthy of repeated listening.