Franck: Streichquartett D-dur; Klavierquintett f-moll / Muza Rubackyte, Vilnius String Quartet [Doppel-CD] – Tonträger gebraucht kaufen

wie neu

90 Min.

2008

Doppel-CD

140 g

Album: NEU und EINGESCHWEISST (OVP). STILL SEALED

Franck: String Quartet, Piano Quintet / Rubackyté, Vilnius String Quartet

Release Date: 09/02/2008
Label: Brilliant Classics Catalog #: 93716 Spars Code: DDD
Composer: César Franck
Performer: Arturas Silale, Girdutis Jakaitis, Audrone Vainiunaite, Augustinas Vasiliausksas, ...
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vilnius String Quartet
Number of Discs: 2
Recorded in: Stereo


Works on This Recording

1. Quartet for Strings in D major, M 9 by César Franck
Performer: Arturas Silale (Violin), Girdutis Jakaitis (Viola), Audrone Vainiunaite (Violin),
Augustinas Vasiliausksas (Cello)
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vilnius String Quartet
Period: Romantic
Written: 1889; France
Length: 49 Minutes 10 Secs.
2. Quintet for Piano and Strings in F minor, M 7 by César Franck
Performer: Girdutis Jakaitis (Viola), Arturas Silale (Violin), Audrone Vainiunaite (Violin),
Mûza Rubackyté (Piano), Augustinas Vasiliausksas (Cello)
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vilnius String Quartet
Period: Romantic
Written: 1878-1879; France
Length: 37 Minutes 0 Secs.


Notes and Editorial Reviews

About this release
After Mūza Rubackytė's dazzling disc of the piano music (released in May), the second Franck release on Brilliant pairs her with fellow Lithuanian musicians for the two major chamber works by the Belgian composer. Both the String Quartet and Piano Quintet are conceived on a grand scale, with the loose, long-limbed melodies and intensely worked counterpoint characteristic of Franck; as late works, they represent a summit of his musical achievement, but they demand fearsome levels of concentration from performers, which may be one reason why they are performed and recorded but rarely.

Other information:
- Recorded in 2007.

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FRANCK String Quartet. Piano Quintet • Vilnius Str Qrt; Mûza Rubackyté (pn) • BRILLIANT 93716 (2 CDs: 86:13)

Perhaps because this issue comes in the wake of the Dante Quartet's nonpareil performance of the String Quartet (Hyperion 67664, Fanfare 32:3), the Vilnius Quartet's seems weak, thin, careful, respectfully plodding, ramshackle, and unmotivated by especial insight. But joined by Mûza Rubackyté, one of the great pianists of our era, they're galvanized to bar-by-bar involvement and escalating drama lifting into superbly mastered ecstasy verging on hysteria. After a deceptively questioning opening, from the first Allegro suspense never relents, throbbing through a second movement rife with aching melancholy, to attain passionate effulgence in the third, as expressive riches pour forth to spellbinding effect. Curiously, Rubackyté's piano, ablaze with tonal finesse in symphonic amplitude, seems to play to a large, open venue as the quartet—their dialogue caught close-up—sings to the microphone. At Brilliant's generous price, a slight recording imbalance may be taken in stride for this extraordinarily compelling, fraught, almost unbearably euphoric performance.

FANFARE: Adrian Corleonis

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AllMusic Review by Mike D. Brownell [-]
Two of César Franck's best-known chamber music compositions stemmed from the last decade or so of his life: the F minor Piano Quintet and the D major String Quartet. Both are dark, somber, even aggressive works; the Piano Quintet even carries the ominous subtitle "Combat tragique." Both are scored with very difficult instrumental parts that are never overtly virtuosic or showy. Both spend a great deal of time in each instrument's lower registers, adding to the petulant mood. And both are notoriously challenging to perform successfully. Regrettably, this Brilliant Classics album featuring the Vilnius String Quartet and pianist Mûza Rubackyté fails to live up to this challenge. The problems rest squarely on the shoulders of the string quartet, whose playing is simply unacceptable. Intonation plagues the ensemble from start to finish in both compositions and rarely do listeners get the sense that there's any cohesiveness or communication taking place between the quartet's members. Franck's quartet in particular suffers from monotonous drudgery and a feeling that the quartet is just trying to relentlessly grind its way to the end. This is especially unfortunate for Rubackyte, whose playing is quite refined, animated, and flowing, despite having to fight against her string companions. Coupled with Brilliant's distant, hazy sound quality, this album is one probably best left on the shelf.

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Brilliant 93716A