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Track(s) taken from CDA67726

Piano Quintet, H49a

composer
in D minor; original written in 1905 (and twice performed in 1907); significantly re-worked in 1912

Piers Lane (piano), Goldner String Quartet
Recording details: July 2008
Potton Hall, Dunwich, Suffolk, United Kingdom
Produced by Jeremy Hayes
Engineered by Ben Connellan
Release date: May 2009
Total duration: 28 minutes 13 seconds

Cover artwork: On the Pier, Brighton by Charles Edward Conder (1868-1909)
Private Collection / The Fine Art Society, London / Bridgeman Images
 

Reviews

‘[Fourth Quartet] is arguably Bridge's most rivetingly cogent and harmonically bracing statement, evincing a deftness, compassion, and unerring intellectual scope that beg comparison with the greatest 20th-century examples in the medium … these unfailingly sympathetic, flexible and exhilaratingly assured performances (that of the Quartet, on balance, the finest to date) have been most truthfully captured by the microphones; Bridge's cataloguer Paul Hindmarsh provides the scholarly annotation … this is clearly a release to investigate, as well as a distinguished addition to the steadily growing Bridge discography’ (Gramophone)

‘This is an absolutely splendid disc, with powerful, committed performances that illuminate Bridge's mastery of chamber music’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘The tremendous sweep of Frank Bridge's chamber music is beautifully captured in this revelatory CD … the Goldner Quartet really understand this music and with masterly pianist Piers Lane throw welcome light on a neglected page of British music’ (The Observer)

‘An important and fascinating disc, which anyone interested in 20th-century music should hear’ (The Guardian)

‘Bridge's musical personality shines through in the sweeping phrases, tinged with a certain brooding quality … the performance by Piers Lane and the Goldner Quartet is very fine, with a particularly strong sense of musical line … this newcomer on Hyperion is especially welcome’ (International Record Review)
Early in 1905 Bridge composed an ambitious Piano Quintet in D minor (H49). This was a muscular, four-movement work, with a huge piano part, brim full of musical ideas, but rather unwieldy and certainly lacking the refinement and elegance of his mature chamber works. After two performances in 1907, Bridge consigned it to a bottom drawer. Then in 1912 he took it up again. The revisions amounted to complete re-write, in which he fashioned something characteristic out of immature beginnings. The unbridled energy of the original first movement is toned down to be replaced by a more brooding inspiration infused with that ‘Gallic’ impulse. Bridge condensed the original second and third movements into a single span, the principal melody of the B major Adagio ma non troppo framing the fleet-footed A minor scherzo (Allegro con brio). The finale also benefitted from a major prune and the final climax is clinched by a re-introduction of the first and second subjects from the first movement. Bridge’s substantially revised the piano part in line with his Phantasie Piano Trio (1907) and Phantasy Piano Quartet (1910). Most of the angularities from 1905 have been smoothed out and there is a greater reliance on Fauré-inspired arpeggiated figuration.

from notes by Paul Hindmarsh © 2009

Au début de 1905, Bridge composa un ambitieux Quintette avec piano en ré mineur (H49), une partition vigoureuse, en quatre mouvements, dotée d’une immense partie de piano, débordante d’idées musicales, mais assez maladroite, n’ayant résolument ni le raffinement ni l’élégance des œuvres de chambre de la maturité. Après deux exécutions en 1907, Bridge relégua cette composition dans une armoire avant de la réviser en 1912. Il en résulta une complète réécriture à l’issue de laquelle les immatures prémices devinrent quelque chose de caractéristique. L’énergie débridée du premier mouvement original est attenuée, remplacée par une inspiration plus inquiétante, baignée de cet élan «français». Les deuxième et troisième mouvements originaux furent, eux, condensés en un seul volet, la mélodie principale de l’Adagio ma non troppo en si majeur encadrant le véloce scherzo en la mineur (Allegro con brio). Le finale bénéficia également d’un important élaguage et l’apogée terminal se clôt sur une réintroduction des deux premiers sujets du premier mouvement. Bridge a substantiellement revu la partie de piano dans la veine de son Phantasie Piano Trio (1907) et de son Phantasy Piano Quartet (1910). Les côtés anguleux de 1905 ont, pour la plupart, été lissés et il y a une dépendance accrue vis-à-vis de la figuration arpégée d’inspiration fauréenne.

extrait des notes rédigées par Paul Hindmarsh © 2009
Français: Hypérion

Anfang 1905 komponierte Bridge ein ambitiöses Klavierquintett in d-Moll (H49). Dies war ein muskulöses viersätziges Werk mit einer enormen Klavierpartie voller musikalischer Ideen, aber eher sperrig und ohne die Eleganz und Raffinesse seiner reifen Kammermusikwerke. Nach zwei Aufführungen 1907 steckte Bridge es in eine Schublade und arbeitete erst 1912 wieder daran. Die Revisionen führten zu einer totalen Neufassung des Werks, in der er aus unreifen Anfängen etwas Charakteristisches schuf. Die ungezügelte Energie des ursprünglichen ersten Satzes wird gedämpft und durch einen grüblerischen Einfall ersetzt, der von jenem „gallischen“ Impuls durchdrungen ist. Bridge kondensierte den originalen zweiten und dritten Satz in einen einzigen, dessen Hauptmelodie des H-Dur-Adagio ma non troppo das leichtfüßige a-Moll-Scherzo (Allegro con brio) umrahmt. Das Finale profitierte auch von einer gewaltigen Kürzung, und die Wiedereinführung des ersten und zweiten Themas aus dem ersten Satz bringen die abschließende Steigerung mit sich. Bridge revidierte die Klavierstimme gründlich nach dem Beispiel seines Phantasie-Klaviertrios (1907) und Phantasie-Klavierquartetts (1910). Die meisten rauen Kanten von 1905 wurden abgefeilt, und das Werk verlässt sich mehr auf von Fauré inspirierte Arpeggiofigurationen.

aus dem Begleittext von Paul Hindmarsh © 2009
Deutsch: Renate Wendel

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