Saint-Saëns: Piano Quartets

 

Despite the stuffy looking cover art and the Classically named Mozart Piano Quartet, these piano quartets from French composer Camille Saint-Saëns offers much more than mere propriety. As with the composer's piano trios (BLOG), I find the inner movements most characterful, while there is a seriousness of form present in the outer movements.

Take the early Piano Quartet in E Major. The second movement (of 3) bears some lovely serenade-type pizzicatos to woo even the hardest of hearts. The opening is a little too lacy and gentille for my tastes, although I do enjoy its dreamy harmonic motion in smany parts, and the final movement is more unbuttoned in its dash to the finale.

As far as masterpieces are concerned, I would have no problem labeling the Piano Quartet in B-flat Major as such. Again, it is the first movement which is the most formal, although the pastoral nature of the music remains charming nonetheless, and the complexity of some of the instrumental counterpoint is impressive. 

If the second movement isn't an homage to Bach and his musical Era, I would sell my pants, so Baroque-sounding is the music here. And not just Baroque, but the minor key is played quite gruffly too, where the harsh sounds of a harpsichord wouldn't sound terribly out of place. The performers limit their vibrato as well, adding to the allegiances of the music to the past. The music itself is set as a cantata chorale, where the main chorale is played straight melodically, while the other performers add polyphony circling around the tune, a magnificent and unexpected second-movement account from Saint-Saëns.

For that matter, the third movement Scherzo is quite aggressive as well, although its dance meter gives the music a different feeling altogether. The minor key remains, plus a falling Scotch Snap rhythm in the main melodic area makes this area of the Piano Quartet quite memorable.

How odd that Saint-Saëns doesn't return to the main key of B-flat Major until the final moments of this last movement. There is a prevailing appearance of minor keys in the three movements which follow the first, an unusual, but most welcome progression in this chamber work. Additionally, Saint-Saëns brings back ideas from the previous movements, most notably that Baroque chorale 'Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern' we heard in the second movement. The composer doesn't just repeat the material either, rather he integrates and expands upon his previous ideas most ingeniously.

I don't know if I would have had such a positive experience with these piano quartets if it weren't for the Mozart Piano Quartet, a German-based chamber ensemble. While the group has a sweet tone, they are not afraid to launch themselves at this music head first, most apparent in the main Piano Quartet in B-flat Major. As I mentioned above, the inner movements bear the most characterful moments of the music, and this is where they set themselves apart from other ensembles for the better.

The MDG Gold sound is very natural, although I thought the strings a touch more forward than the piano, but nothing to rain on the parade. Really an outstanding recording altogether, adding the later Barcarolle to offer the listener all of the music Saint-Saëns composed for Piano Quartet all on a single disc.

 

 

 

Works
Piano Quartet in E Major, R. 107 (19.00)
Piano Quartet in B-flat Major, op. 41 (29.56)
Barcarolle, op. 108 (8.50)

Performers
Mozart Piano Quartet
   Mark Gothoni, violin
   Hartmut Rohde, viola
   Peter Hörr, cello
   Paul Rivinius, piano

Label: MDG
Year: 2009
Total Timing: 58.06

 

 

 

I can easily set the Piano Trios and Piano Quartets of Camille Saint-Saëns as chamber music of great quality.

That said, I think the performers I have heard in these works elevate what could be delightful drawing room pieces into something much more.

 

 

 

 

Find more Saint-Saëns recordings HERE!