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Listening Briefs: Trio Wanderer's Tchaikovsky and Faure, Linn's Barber Toccata, Gardner's Szymanowski, Tackac's Franck

Posted by jdaniel@jps.net on November 20, 2016 at 12:50:47

An old friend! The above Linn was one of my first SACDs back in the day. The Toccata Festiva is no doubt an audiophile spectacular and showpiece for organ and orchestra, but Barber looks to surprise the listener at every turn, and it took me awhile to get used to all the gear changes. (Who would have thought that Leppard could work up such a sweat?) If you don't know the music, and don't mind taking awhile to internalize Barber's ideas, you can't go wrong with this track; it's just a mere couple of bucks.

I only downloaded the final Partita, which contains two of Bach's most fetching melodies. I'm absolutely not a Bach expert--I'm only familiar with Milstein's, Szeryng's mono, and Grumiaux's sets--but FWIW I really enjoyed both the sound of Faust's HIP instrument and her lithe, athletic playing, more dance-like than abstract. The fast mov'ts are fast, but her phrasing and articulation is such that Bach's musical paragraphs are as easy to comprehend as his sentences, so to speak, for me at least. Faust's deliciously tart instrument is recorded in a large, resonant space. Very occasional edge to the sound, but no matter: I'll be downloading the rest soon.

In my limited experience, the quality of Chandos' hi-res sound has been more variable than other labels thus far, but holy cow: this one's a 10/10. Performance too! I cannot recommend Gardner's Stabat Mater enough: Lucy Crowe's voice is exquisite throughout, and no matter how complex and thick the lines for chorus, soloists, thunderous organ and orchestra, the recording remains absolutely weighty and clear as a bell. Szymanowsky's music for the Stabat Mater is a sultry, hot-house, exotic affair; and Gardner and his performers are completely in tune. I was initially worried because some reviews suggest that Garner can run hot and cold. I'm looking forward to downloading the Symphony 3 and 4 soon and I really hope the conductor is in "hot" mode again. Do tell....

Man, Franck really lets it all hang out in the Quintet, doesn't he? (So much so that his wife broke the code, ha ha.) The signature, recurring moonlit theme, first introduced by the piano, is unforgettable; as is the titillating, ghostly piano writing in the central section of the Lento, which briefly sounds like Berg or Schreker. I fell in love with the Quintet via the Vienna/Curzon and Parrenin/Francois Lp's but unfortunately both recordings left me exhausted due to not only the music, but also the harsh, opaque recorded sound. The above Hyperion with the Takac's and Hamelin is infinitely warmer, clearer and spacious, though not quite as refined as the Harmonia Mundi's below. Hamelin's piano sound is gorgeous and the pianist IMHO positively luxuriates in Franck's lurid sound world, which, to me, was a pleasant surprise.

Trio Wanderer and the Harmonia Mundi recording team are class acts all the way. This is my first outing with the Tchaikovsky Trio, thanks to a mention in here. (It's nice to still have unexplored material to enjoy after 40 years of listening.) I can't compare to others but what I can say is that the balance between piano and strings is as well-judged (and recorded) as I've ever heard; it's an extremely "comfortable" sound, and not a coarse passage anywhere.

The Faure Trio is a lovely work with which I am indeed familiar. The Trio Wanderer's performance is top-shelf: not too starchy, not too cold, and again, not so much as an ounce of harshness to the sound anywhere. Sample the 2nd mov't to get an idea Faure's gift for melody.

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