When I reviewed the Quartetto di Cremona’s www.quartettodicremona.com first issue in their series of complete
Beethoven String Quartets for Audite www.audite.de
I was impressed by their fluency,
sparkle and passion.
This fine Quartet has
now reached Volume Five in their cycle where, with violist Lawrence Dutton www.emersonquartet.com/artist.php?view=bio&bid=142
from
the Emerson String Quartet, they bring us the String Quintet in C major, Op.29
coupled with the late String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132
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| SACD and HD Download 92.684 |
They bring a real intensity and character to the opening of
the Allegro moderato of String Quintet in C major, Op.29, soon
developing a fine forward momentum. They are alive to every nuance and sudden
change in tempo and dynamics whilst achieving some fine textures and sonorities.
There is always an underlying sense of urgency and tension with some tremendous
passages developed later in the movement.
In the Adagio molto
espressivo these players bring an exquisite flowing melody over the pulse
of the pizzicato cello. They weave the theme beautifully with some wonderfully sensitive
hushed passages as well as some quietly powerful moments. They always seem to know where they’re going with
a fine sense of overall structure. Towards the end they bring a startlingly
emotional outburst before leading slowly and gently to the coda.
These players bring a fine rhythmic bounce to the Scherzo. Allegro with some terrific interplay.
There is a finely shaped trio section with
this Quintet bringing a real swagger as we are led forward to the coda.
There is such fine, lightly bowed playing in the frenetic
opening of the Presto. This is
remarkably fine playing by any standards as they follow every twist and turn,
every dynamic, continuing with the intensity that has run through so much of
this performance. There is some very fine control of dynamics before a crisp
and decisive coda.
This is a remarkably fine performance.
The Quartetto di Cremona achieve some glorious textures in
the opening of the Assai sostenuto –
Allegro of the String Quartet in A minor,
Op. 132, bringing intense emotion as the music rises up. They provide a
very fine rubato as they retain an emotional tension behind the intense
lyricism, bringing ever changing textures and sonorities as the music develops
with a terrific weaving of musical lines. They bring such finely controlled
dynamics whilst revealing exquisite details.
This control of dynamics is to the fore in the opening of
the Allegro ma non tanto with wonderful
phrasing and a fine tautness to their playing. Yet for all the tautness they
bring a real sense of spontaneity as they bring out so many of Beethoven’s often
unusual ideas. There is fast lithe flow before the finely done coda.
What can one say of the wonderful, intense slow movement
marked Molto Adagio – Neue Kraft fühlend.
Andante – Molto adagio – Andante – Molto adagio. Mit innigster Empfindung with the added caption Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die
Gottheit, in der lydischen Tonart (Holy song of thanksgiving of a convalescent
to the Deity). In the hands of this fine Quartet there are the most
wonderful sonorities in the opening long drawn phrases. Each player adds
something special to the exquisite hushed moments and just the right amount of
rhythmic lift when the music rises, bringing an emotionally charged, fragile
jollity. There is always a strong, if gentle, forward flow with beautifully
drawn, long phrases as the music rises and falls. Part way they bring a
brighter, taut section yet always with a sense of urgency and tension. There
are more of those sustained, long drawn phrases throughout which so many
threads are woven before the music rises to an intense climax before slowly
finding a peace in the coda.
The Alla marcia, assai
vivace opens with a well sprung sense of joy and some wonderfully crisp
playing. There is a further array of fine textures and sonorities – before
leading into the concluding Allegro
appassionato where this Quartet bring a lilting, dance like feel before
developing through some really incisive passages. They provide some wonderfully
controlled and developed passages, often full of strength, precision and
passion, before a beautifully sprung coda.
This is a terrific performance that reveals further the
remarkable qualities of this Quartet and makes fine addition to the Quartetto
di Cremona’s Beethoven Quartet cycle.
The SACD recording is first class and there are useful
booklet notes.
See also:
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