Elgar Quartet and Quintet
Mon, Jan 23 2012, 7:35PM
I likes vaughan williams but he dont seem to have been too interested in chamber music. So i thought elgar might do instead. Does any of you have the Goldner Quartet or the Maggini Quartet discs of these couplings. Donohoe and the magginis sound like a good choice but the goldners have a beautiful picture of a tractor plowing a field on the front of their CD so it be a tuff choice.
Tue, Jan 24 2012, 12:30AM
#2
RE: Elgar Quartet and Quintet
No I be interested Parla, in the elgar that is. I noticed that the maggini disc got a diapassiondior from the french so was thinking of that but I likes the goldner quartet in the szymanovsky quartets. I dont know about the pianists though. That Piers Lane be austrailian and that Donohoe nearly cut his hand off I heard, so I dont know if any of them is goining to be reliable sort, thaarts all.
Tue, Jan 24 2012, 7:55PM
#3
RE: Elgar Quartet and Quintet
DVF - I cannot offer the comparative recommendation as Parla but I will say that I have really enjoyed the Maggini version over the last few years. Whatever the merits of performers the music itself is worth listening too. There may not be enough cream for a Devon boy though...
Tue, Jan 24 2012, 9:20PM
#4
RE: Elgar Quartet and Quintet
Surprised nobody's mentioned the Aura Ensemble cd (Koch Discover International) of both quintet and quartet. Penguin Guide rated it at least the equal of the Maggini, rather warmer and more passionate (clotted?). I've never heard the Maggini but I'm completely happy with the Aura version. And it's cheap.
In case you're really interested, both Vaughan Williams and Elgar have some substantive, though not big, output of Chamber Music:
Elgar main works are the String Quartet in E minor and the Piano Quintet in A minor, along with some other minor works. The Goldner is a safe choice, in a very reliable recording of Hyperion. I have also the Magginis; for their price it's not bad at all. However, I prefer the Sorrel Quartet in a superb recording on Chandos. There is another interesting recording with the very good Medici String Quartet on Meridian. Tough competition, indeed.
Vaughan Williams has more works : three String Quartets, a Piano Quintet a wonderful Violin Sonata and some more lesser known and shorter works. A very good double CD on Hyperion titled "The Early Chamber Music" is a safe bet (it contains the Piano Quintet and the String Quartet in c minor along with quite a few smaller pieces). For the main two String Quartets, there is a very solid performance by the English String Quartet on Alto and a more recent one with Maggini Quartet on Naxos (safe choice too) and a quite interesting one on Nimbus with the always very good Medici Quartet. For the Violin Sonata, there is a superb CD on Hyperion with Chamber works of VW, with the very secure Nash Ensemble.
So, Mr. Devon, you have plenty to choose from both composers. I hope you'll get into this wonderful music.
Parla