Taneyev: Piano Quintet; Piano Trio

Album review

Russian chamber music from the Silver Age -- is there any? Yes, some -- Tchaikovsky wrote three string quartets, a string sextet, and a piano trio, plus Borodin wrote a couple of string quartets and Rachmaninov a couple of piano trios -- but otherwise, no, not much. Indeed, the very idea is so far from the reality that one cannot even imagine what chamber music by Mussorgsky or Scriabin would sound like. But there was one Russian composer of the Silver Age who specialized in chamber music: Sergey Taneyev. Indeed, with six string quartets and two string quintets plus a piano trio, and a piano quartet to his credit, Taneyev's chamber works far outnumber his four symphonies, one overture, and one piano concerto. But is any of Taneyev's chamber music worth hearing? Some may be, but it's not on this disc. Technically, Taneyev's piano quintet and piano trio are impeccable. Taneyev was clearly one of the great contrapuntists with thorough command of chromatic harmony plus complete control of form and structure. Emotionally, however, his quintet and trio are null, void, and empty. His melodies are either bombastic or pathetic. His harmonies are either affected or bathetic. His forms are either pompous or ponderous. One cannot blame the players. Virtuoso pianist Mikhail Pletnev appears persuaded of the music's worth and he seems to have convinced his all-star string players, but even the most dedicated fan of Russian music from the Silver Age may find it difficult to feel the same way. Deutsche Grammophon's sound is a tad too hard and a bit too close.

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