Piano Quintet must hear

[John Hudock]

Also, a quintet I failed to include and which no one else has yet either is the wonderful Arensky quintet. Beautiful melodies and forward drive, a beautiful slow movement with some lovely writing for the cello. Similar in many ways to his much more famous trio #1.

[Kriton]

(...) Arensky quintet. Beautiful melodies and forward drive (...)

Indeed, a beautiful piece!

For me, when it comes to 'forward drive', there's nothing more successful than the Zarebski piano quintet - a real thunderstorm, and again one of those works of which its lack of popularity is beyond understanding...

[John Hudock]

I'll have to look for the Zarebski quintet. I'm only familiar with some of his piano music.

[eschiss1]

I'll have to look for the Zarebski quintet. I'm only familiar with some of his piano music.

It was on BBC 3 Through the Night as recently as April 1 2010 (according to a quick Google search...), and I've heard it before. I expect it'll be on again It's worth hearing, in my opinion- good melody, good form, etc, quite enjoyable. (They still webcast, I think- I haven't checked very recently!)

No one to bring up the Elgar quintet? (Not a favorite of mine, unfortunately- I much prefer the string quartet from the same time, and the cello concerto, for instance. Haven't really gotten into Frank Bridge's early piano quintet with which Elgar's quintet is coupled on one CD, either, though some other early Bridge works and many others of his middle and late works appeal to me personally very much. Ah well. I'm sure others enjoy it for good reasons - of course.)

Ah. I forgot a few
Piston's quintet did belong in the too-long list in my early post- for whatever reason its first movement seems "French" and almost Faure-like, though the finale is typical Piston. (Or so it seems to me. In any case, it's a fine work ) I'm _told_ one or both of Ross Lee Finney's piano quintets are excellent but I haven't heard them.
Throwing caution to the winds there's Sorabji, whose first quintet has been published and performed once (but whose second quintet is rather lengthy - though it does exist, unlike some others of his works, in a performing typeset edition (http://www.sorabji-archive.co.uk/compositions/piece.php?pieceid=54).

Eric

Eric

[Glazier]

Does anyone know this one?

Music in London 1890-94G B Shaw 3 vols Constable 1932 vol 3 p 156
21 Feb 1894

...Mr Gomperz, who unearthed a very good quintet in A minor by Professor Villiers Stanford, which for some reason had not been performed in public before in London. It is a genuine piece of absolute music, alive with feeling from beginning to end.

[eschiss1]

Does anyone know this one?

Music in London 1890-94G B Shaw 3 vols Constable 1932 vol 3 p 156
21 Feb 1894

...Mr Gomperz, who unearthed a very good quintet in A minor by Professor Villiers Stanford, which for some reason had not been performed in public before in London. It is a genuine piece of absolute music, alive with feeling from beginning to end.

Stanford's piano quintet in D minor, op. 25 is from 1886. See http://www.editionsilvertrust.com/stanford-piano-quintet.htm. It could be a typo?
Eric

[eschiss1]

... I don't think anyone's mentioned the wonderful Sergei Taneev piano quintet in G minor yet. If not, let me do so...
Eric

[chill319]

Back in the day I put the Beach Quintet on the turntable and as its ravishing opening unfolded my college roommate perked up his ears, investigated the jacket and, seeing Mrs. H.H.A. ("Ha Ha") Beach's name, exclaimed, "Wow, I didn't know she was a REAL composer."

Don't know if anyone has previously mentioned the early Dochnanyi piano quintet, but in my book it's one of the most impressive opus 1s ever.

[Glazier]

Does the Cesar Franck PQ have any friends these days? After the big three I first mentioned, where I live the classical FM station has only played the Doh and the Franck in the last year or so.

[Glazier]

After a week of frantic debate, the following get into the hit parade:

Premier league
Brahms
Schumann
Dvorak

1st division
Elgar
Franck
Dohnanyi

2nd division: unsungs with may passionate fans

Berger
Raff
Reinecke
Kiel
Webern
Alttenberg
Hahn
Korngold
Rubinstein
Zarebski
 
3rd Divison: immense development potential
Florent Schmitt
Schäfer
Medtner

Of course, a very long list is available with a search in IMSLP, BL, Hollander's catalogue, Merton or Klassika. All the more reason to get some personal recommendations from the recording-literate public.

Looking forward to the next wave of ideas.

[Martin Eastick]

I heartily agree with all the positive comments concerning Amy Beach's Op67 - this same work I have have used time and again to introduce the unsuspecting to the wonders and enjoyment of chamber music - with overwhelming success!

Of recorded works not yet mentioned I would have to immediately stake a claim for two of my favorites - Philipp Scharwenka's Op118: one of his late works and IMHO a (minor?) masterpiece perhaps (try the slow movement!) & Catoire's Op28, which I hope may be familiar to some - typically dense in texture but wonderfully appealing.

Now to those yet awaiting rediscovery/ recording. Firstly, for the pianophiles amongst us, I must make mention of Pixis Op99, (dedicated to Thalberg! - and yes, it DOES include the doublebass!) This must surely be contemporary with his eagerly awaited Op100 Concerto and certainly has a piano part almost worthy of a concerto! (I will be more than pleased to provide copies of all parts for any recording project here!). I have also been looking at Davidoff's G minor Quintet Op40 - although described in Cobbett as representative of the German Romantic School, I consider the Russian influence quite obvious - perhaps even Russian Brahms in places? Moving on, Arthur Hinton's G minor Quintet Op30, which was published in 1913, certainly SHOULD be recorded - perhaps with other chamber works of his, this could be an ideal recording debut for this completely forgotten composer, without the financial commitment of an orchestral recording -hopefully the symphonies & piano concerto etc could follow on later...........

Finally, I note with interest the release of Josef Nowakowski's Op17 Quintet (another with doublebass!) on the Camerata label - I am still awaiting my copy.........

[John H White]

If you are not familiar with it and want to get some idea of what it sounds like, you'll find my midi rendition of Raff's masterly Piano Quintet in A minor, Op 107 at Mark's equally masterly Raff Society web site by going to www.raff.org . Choose home/resources/ midi files/ vocal & chamber.
     Cheers,
         John.

[Kriton]

After a week of frantic debate, (...)

LOL!

Looking forward to the next wave of ideas.

OK, I already listed the French - please, do not forget to put both Fauré piano quintets somewhere on your list! - so I'll continue with the southerners:

- Granados: small, but effective.

- Martucci: rarely played, sadly - I hope there'll be a new recording on Naxos, soon. Beautiful work which gets better with every listen.

- Respighi: cute, little quintet modelled on the Brahms piece. Or better: distilled from the Brahms quintet.

- Sgambati: both his quintets are real discoveries. The tunes are not as catchy as in his piano concerto, but anyone who likes the Brahms and Dvorák quintets will like those, too.

- Wolf-Ferrari: my absolute favourite of this list. Such an unassuming, innocent, beautiful work, with a finale that'll have you rolling over the floor laughing!

D'Azevedo, Caetani & Guevós-Mira apparently wrote piano quintets as well, I now as much about those works as about there composers: nothing. I hope someone may be able to shed some light? Anyway, I think that covers the south of Europe, and I want to recommend at least the Martucci and the Wolf-Ferrari quintets for some kind of short list of yours, Glazier.

[Martin Eastick]

Further to my post of yesterday, I must also make mention of Thomas Dunhill's Piano Quintet in C minor Op20. As far as I am aware, this remains unpublished - together with more of his works on a larger scale, and, although I stand to be corrected as I have not yet checked, the mss are held by the Royal College of Music.

There was a plan to produce a printed edition, and an article in support of this was published in the British Music Journal of 1996 together with a reproduction of the first page. However it would seem that this project was never completed, which if true, is a shame as this would have made what appears to be a most interesting work readily available for performance and recording. The first few bars of the first movement have certainly created  a desire to hear this work and I do not think we would be disappointed on the strength of Dunhill's other recorded chamber music!

[gentile]

Anyway, I think that covers the south of Europe, and I want to recommend at least the Martucci and the Wolf-Ferrari quintets for some kind of short list of yours, Glazier.

I would not close the issue of southern European piano quintets without mentioning two very distinguished works by little-known Italian composers which luckily have been recorded on CD. I find them as good as those by Martucci, Sgambati and Wolf-Ferrari.
One is the piano quintet by Alfonso Rendano (1853-1931), a pianist pupil of Thalberg. His quintet is beautifully romantic with a most expressive theme leading the first movement after an introductory Largo, and a charming Serenade, in the form of a Bachian aria, as a second movement. I think there have been at least two commercial recordings of this work (on the Ermitage and Aura labels).
Then there is this most extraordinary piano quintet by Guido Alberto Fano (1875-1961), a student of Martucci. His piano quintet is of symphonic proportions (almost 40 minutes) and is written in an attractive late romantic idiom. Most uncommonly this work includes an additional trumpet (!!) in the last movement (don't panic, Glazier! The trumpet part is optional and, therefore, this is still a bona fide piano quintet). The trumpet is used muted and sparely (mainly to highlight and reinforce the chorale theme that dominates the final movement). As far as I know, the only recording of this work (which includes the trumpet) has been issued by the label Phoenix Classics with no less than Aldo Ciccolini at the demanding piano part.
Another late romantic piano quintet by Vito Frazzi (1888-1975) is also available on CD. Although a pleasant piece is not of the same stature of the two mentioned above.
Besides, if Croatia qualifies as Southern European, I would surely include the piano quintet by Dora Pejacevic (1885-1922) as an outstanding exponent of the genre, which is also available on CD.
As for the original question, I think that, after Brahms, Schumann and Dvorak, the piano quintets by Elgar and Franck are the runner-ups, closely followed by Taneyev, Fauré, Dohnanyi (both of them), Berwald (specially the first), Medtner, Hahn, Bridge ...
Among the romantic piano quintets that still have not been mentioned and appear worthy to me, I would like to nominate the Fibich (although originally including clarinet and horn there is also a version by the composer for regular piano and string quintet which has been recorded), the Heise in F major, and the charming early essay by Sibelius in G minor. Although I am not specially fond of the music of Arnold Bax, I admit having a weakness for his piano quintet (also in G minor), specially for the second movement (lento serioso) displaying a splendidly melodic theme (of clear Irish inspiration) couched in impressionistic harmonies and instrumental effects.