Anton Rubinstein – Piano Quartets
Leslie Howard; Rita Manning; Morgan Goff; Justin Pearson
Hyperion CDA68018
“Russians call me German, Germans call me Russian, Jews call me Christian, Christians a Jew. Pianists call me a composer, composers call me a pianist. The classicists think of me as futurist, and the futurists call me a reactionary. My conclusion is that I am neither fish nor fowl – a pitiful individual.” Anton Grigorevich Rubinstein playfully described himself this way in his posthumously published book Gedankenkorb. While he is better known as one of the greatest 19th-century pianists and educators (he founded the St. Petersburg Conservatory, the first of its kind in Russia), Rubinstein also had a long and productive composing career.
The two piano quartets presented on this CD are premiere recordings of these pieces. Piano Quartet in F major, Op.55bis was originally written as a quintet with winds and the reduction for the string version was quite successful. The string’s sonority (with slightly more prominence given to the cello) certainly enhanced typical romantic gestures, lush harmonies and flourishing piano lines.
Piano Quartet in C-Major, Op.66 is clearly the stronger of the two – more cohesive, with more emotional depth and a touch of beautiful dark sonorities. The third movement, Andante assai, stands out with its stately piano lines and a dramatic violin solo that brings in a dash of gypsy spirit before settling into a peaceful melody. The ensemble playing is strong and close knit. Leslie Howard’s articulation is refined, bringing a sparkling quality to more virtuosic piano lines. Strings are juxtaposed nicely, achieving lovely colours in unison parts. Recommended for rainy afternoons – not exactly masterpieces, but these quartets could certainly take you on an interesting journey.
