More Stanford chamber music from Naxos

[Mark Thomas]

Naxos have issued what promises to be a rewarding recording of Stanfords's Piano Quartet NO.2 and the Piano Trio No.1, together with some smaller works, played by the Gould Piano Trio with David Adams. The Trio has been recorded before, but the Quartet is a recording première, I think. Samples here.

[Alan Howe]

The Piano Quartet, a substantial piece lasting 30 minutes, begins in a turbulent C minor, but with typically Stanfordian moments of relaxation. Apparently it wasn't heard until last year - Stanford expert Jeremy Dibble edited the unpublished autograph manuscript housed at Newcastle University's Robinson Library. The idiom is much as expected, but it has a certain 'late' feel to it (it dates from 1913). Overall another winner from Naxos (how much we are in their debt!) and a re-discovery of some fabulous music by one of the greatest of our unsung composers. Wonderful!

[Mark Thomas]

I've downloaded the tracks this morning but so far have listened only to the Quartet. It's autumnal certainly, but not the music of an old man (Stanford was only 61). The first movement dominates and has quite a determined character - apparently it is linked with Stanford's opposition to Irish Home Rule. The slow movement has a gentle lyricism which is utterly gorgeous and the scherzo which follows is a jolly thing, pretty much what you'd expect from Stanford, whilst the finale is a surprisingly moderately-paced affair. All in all it's a winning work which I'm delighted to have, but I do rather feel (admittedly from only one hearing) that the performance is a tad dry and passionless. I'll probably warm to it on repeated hearings.

[eschiss1]

I was very surprised to learn how much of his chamber music (sorry, I've said it before- it was from an earlyish bio of Stanford I previewed using Google books...) was posthumously, or perhaps is still , unpublished- that quartet, half or so of his string quartets (to evoke a moment from I Dream of Jeannie : which half? the middle half. ... more or less), his second string quintet, ...

[Jonathan]

I heard part of the Trio on BBC Radio 3 this morning, looks like another CD for the wishlist!

[eschiss1]

I think ASV? recorded the first two trios and Naxos has already given the A minor (or "in A", as Stanford described it for some reason - Per Aspera in Astra) 3rd trio its recording premiere already. Have heard at least one of them on the radio, I believe- maybe the ASV recording of the first. Also good... (but the label is, I believe, gone?)