Taneyev Piano Quintet & String Quintets

[Alan Howe]

...from Supraphon:
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Supraphon/SU41762

[Wieland]

This recording can be strongly recommended. I just listened again to the Piano Quintet. What a fabulous piece. This brooding and passionate Allegro patetico that already takes almost half of the 44 min. A highly original Scherzo and a Largo with a simple but very effective melodic line. The first half of the last movement maybe a small let-down (too Brahmsian) but then things develop into a hymn-like finale that is really wallowing you up in great sound.
The Martinu Quartet and Olga Vinokur give this piece the full romantic treatment and Supraphon provides the appropriate sound. A wonderful chamber music disc. There is an alternative recording on cpo with Anna Zassimova as pianist and two other chamber pieces that is just as good and sold for almost nothing now.

[semloh]

The are quite a few fine recordings of these works. The decade-old Pletnev/DGG version of the Piano Quintet was very well received, so too the CPO recording, and I imagine the same goes for the 2012/13 Piers Lane/Goldner on Hyperion coupled with the very enjoyable Arensky. 

I certainly love my version on Brilliant Classics by the AmsterdamChMusicSociety, but I'm not sure how it stacks up against these. The reviews suggest that the new Supraphon version, alluded to here by Alan, is yet another superb recording/performance - which is exactly what this amazing, inspiring music deserves! 

[pedrito]

This reminds me of Medtner's piano quintet, which shows influences from his teacher Taneyev. Both use extensive counterpoint, and both have this hymn-like passages. Both are beautiful works... Zassimova's Taneyev recording is indeed beautiful, as are the piano quartet and piano trio on the same double CD.