Walton: Piano Quartet

 

While this blog post title only mentions Sir William Walton's Piano Quartet in D minor, this Nimbus recording also includes piano quartets from Frank Bridge, Arnold Bax, and living Irish composer Ian Wilson.

Let me begin with the Walton quartet, as it is the longest work on the program as well as the only one which comes in multiple movements. I was initially worried, for I had just heard Sir William's early String Quartet from 1922, the same time period as this Piano Quartet, for that String Quartet was grim and unsmiling throughout.

Alas, no fears are to be had. The first movement is almost musical portrayed in a folk-like modal landscape, with sweeping Romanticisms offset by occasional spare harmonies, perhaps my favorite of the entire work. Bounding rhythms drive forward the second movement, while the Cappa Ensemble reach for a quiet melancholic intimacy in the third movement quite unexpectedly. While the chamber ensemble does not quite reach the molto of the fourth-movement Allegro, they do seem just as eager to dig into Walton's rhythmic finale, just not at a driving tempo.

I don't think the Walton Piano Quartet will be a new favorite of mine, yet I was not put off of it as I was the String Quartet from that same early compositional time frame. It is actually a fine companion to the Bax Piano Quartet in One Movement, for Sir Arnold pushes the soundworld of the players, leaning in on sul ponticellos and harmonics to offer some forward-thinking music.

Bax's Piano Quartet is probably the most consistently menacing music on the program as well, even in contrast to Ian Wilson's Noct from 2011. In this music, Wilson is searching well beyond the stratosphere for inspiration, set in a modern style. Despite that, I still think Noct is widely approachable, just don't go in expecting the same use of tonality as the others on this program. As I understand it, Wilson composed Noct with the Cappa Ensemble as the premier performing ensemble, so we can probably regard this performance as authoritative.

My favorite of Cappa's recorded program must be the Phantasy Quartet in F-sharp minor from Frank Bridge. I have mentioned the Phantasie competition put on by the eccentric Walter Willson Cobbett Esq. elsewhere on the blog (I think in relation to Ralph Vaughan Williams' string quartets), one where composers sent in pieces inspired by the Phantasy style of Purcell and Merrie Olde England.

Here, Bridge is in full British pastoral mode, before the composer turned towards more experimental musical styles. The Cappa Ensemble really lay into the lyrical elements here, beautifully portrayed by the chamber group. If they undersell the more potent minor portions Bridge opens with, such things did not affect me in the least. As a matter of fact, the fairy-light middle portion is plenty rhythmically pointed and whimsical, one which comes back later amidst sweeping piano, but in a changed lyrical format by Bridge. Chalk up another fantastic chamber-sized Phantasy next to Vaughan Williams and Sir Eugene Goossens I have covered thus far.

The Nimbus soundstage is very natural, with the piano a little held back in relation to the strings. This aids some of the overt lyricism this group prefers, rather than sharp-edged attacks. The Cappa Ensemble was named 2009's Young Musicwide Award from the Music Network, Ireland's live arts initiative organization. Strangely, the Cappa Ensemble never made another recording after this one, and I don't know if it is an active performing quartet anymore. A shame, as I am sure they have oodles of potential, as evidenced by this recording.

 

 

 

Works
Frank Bridge
   Phantasy, H. 93 (13.25)

Arnold Bax
   Piano Quartet in One Movement (12.40)

Ian Wilson
   Noct (13.47)

William Walton
   Piano Quartet in D minor (30.24)

Ensemble
Cappa Ensemble
   Bartosz Woroch, violin
   Adam Newman, viola
   Brian O'Kane, cello
   Michael McHale, piano

Label: Nimbus
Year: 2013
Total Timing: 70.19

 

 

 

A inspired program of British piano quartets from the one-off Cappa Ensemble on Nimbus.

While I understand Ian Wilson's Noct was commissioned for this group, perhaps Herbert Howell's Piano Quartet mentioned in the liner notes might have been a more intelligent programming choice.

Oh well... just useless musings on my part.

 

 

 

 

Find more Walton recordings HERE!