Catoire PC, Piano Quartet & Piano Quintet

[Alan Howe]

...forthcoming from Capriccio:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/klavierkonzert-op-21/hnum/10322248



Oliver Triendl's at it again...

[Gareth Vaughan]

All these works have been recorded before, of course (PC on Dutton with the PC No. 2 by Percy Sherwood; Piano Quintet on BIS with the C minor Piano Quintet Op. 18 by Ignaz Friedman; and Piano Quartet on Hyperion with the Piano Trio, Op. 14 and Elegy in D minor). But that does not make this present disk any less enticing. Oliver Triendl is a fine pianist, and it will be nice to have these pieces together on one disk.

[eschiss1]

This is at least the third recording of the quintet, I think (there's a 2002 recording, issued in 2008, on the Aliud label.) For the piano quartet there's a 2001 recording on Brilliant Classics too. (I think this is only the 2nd (commercial?) recording of the piano concerto, though.)

[Christopher]

Catoire wrote just one other orchestral work ("Mtsyri" symphonic poem"). It's probably the completist in me, but wouldn't those involved in both PC recordings be curious enough to record it too? (Admittedly I say this with no idea of how recording companies and orchestras work, so pace all!) Or maybe they did and it will one day appear on a separate CD.   Or maybe they looked at it and it's a dreadful piece!

[Alan Howe]

Indeed, good point. But this is clearly a 'piano-led' CD, and a very generous one.

[Mark Thomas]

As both the Piano Quintet and Quartet seem to have passed me by, this is a very welcome release.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Catoire wrote just one other orchestral work ("Mtsyri" symphonic poem")

I'm afraid you are wrong, Christopher. He also wrote a symphony in C minor, Op. 7 and it has been recorded on Dutton with Blumenfeld's symphony in C minor, Op. 39

[eschiss1]

I'm told he wrote 2 symphonies but that might be mistaken... (I think more likely I misread something )

[Christopher]

Catoire wrote just one other orchestral work ("Mtsyri" symphonic poem")

I'm afraid you are wrong, Christopher. He also wrote a symphony in C minor, Op. 7 and it has been recorded on Dutton with Blumenfeld's symphony in C minor, Op. 39

Sorry I should have worded that better - I ought to have said "one remaining unrecorded work".  There is also an older Melodiya recording of the symphony in addition to the Dutton one - both are rather good imho. 

Indeed, good point. But this is clearly a 'piano-led' CD, and a very generous one.

They wouldn't necessarily have to put it on the same CD - it could be recorded and then put aside for inclusion on another Russian-focused CD (for example) - that might even slightly increase profits better than if it was all on one CD (I for one would certainly buy both).  Academic anyway, and as I said I have no idea how record companies work.

[Alan Howe]

Perhaps Capriccio will do the Symphony and Mtsyri?

[Christopher]

Perhaps Capriccio will do the Symphony and Mtsyri?

Oh really? Why so? Would be great!

(There's also a work for orchestra and women's chorus "Rusalka" (a cantata I think) but that's a different level of complexity in terms of staging/recording!)

[Alan Howe]

It's merely a logical next step...

[eschiss1]

incidentally the symphony's manuscript seems to be @ FLP (they have "composed 1889 or 1899"; given that opp. 6 and 8 were published in/by 1897, I'm guessing 1889, but...) and St Pancras, & its 1961 published edition is at BNF. I'd have expected it to have been published by 1897 too from the opus number but maybe this fell through.

[eschiss1]

the opus list I see has "Op.5 Rusalka [Русалка] (Lermontov), Cantata for Solo Voice, Women's Chorus and Orchestra (1888)", btw.
FLP has the piano concerto also, pub. 1912.

[eschiss1]

According to Bolshakova's 2008 dissertation on Catoire's (edit) music with and for piano (available freely online for download), the cantata Op.5 has not been performed and was only published in vocal score. (This dissertation has been mentioned in an earlier thread on the composer, and contains material on each of these three works. I admit it's only of tangential relevance to the new recording, though. The piano quintet of 1914 waited until 1921 for publication, it seems, as did the piano quartet of 1916...)