I was thrilled to see this new recording from the Pacifica Quartet on Cedille Records. No extraneous “extras” like on their previous two “America-themed” releases (a clarinet on American Stories and a children’s choir (groan) on American Voices). Here we have an entire album of pure, good old-fashioned string quartet music – the 3 glorious creations by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, made especially valuable as they had the inspired motivation to also include the same composer’s String Sextet and Piano Quintet on the 2nd disc.
The bad news is that this release, like the America Voices album, is only available in CD format directly from Cedille Records. (Or, you can stream it if that’s your thing; it’s not mine.) But the price was reasonable and, as I recall, shipping was included. It arrived quickly, in about 3 or 4 days, so it worked out fine.
I had gotten to know the Korngold Quartets primarily from the Doric String Quartet’s survey for Chandos (2010-12). And even more with the Tippett Quartet’s 2021 recording for Naxos, which was notable for squeezing all 3 works onto one CD (77+ minutes). Still, it was admiration rather than true love. It wasn’t until I heard the Alma Quartet’s recordings on Challenge Classics a couple years ago that I began to truly love this music – especially as their reading of the Piano Quintet was exceptionally good. But sadly they did not record the String Sextet. It is cause for celebration then that the Pacifica includes them all, and their playing is arguably the best of the bunch. (More on this below.)
The Pacifica Quartet, based in Bloomington, Indiana, has been around a while. (I was going to say “forever”; 30 years really is a long time.) Formed in 1994, husband and wife team Simin Ganatra (1st violin) and Brandon Vamos (cello) have remained constant members throughout the decades. Amazingly, they have consistently maintained the characteristically warm, expressive and beautifully blended Pacifica Quartet sound through various members on the inner voices which have come and gone along the way. The current 2nd violin (Austin Hartman) and violist (Mark Holloway) joined the group in 2017. And as good as the group has always been, they surely have reached peak perfection with the current roster.
And this album is, quite simply, glorious. I could end the review right here and conclude simply, “Anyone interested in Korngold chamber music absolutely must acquire this.” But I suppose I should also add a few comments as to why I would suggest that. And even this can be summed up succinctly: music aside, the playing here is magnificent – expressive, characterful, dynamic, articulate and beautifully blended. As is the recorded sound, which is absolutely lovely – warm, colorful, detailed and positively glowing.
Beginning with the String Quartets, it would be difficult to guess this as any other composer than Korngold. Though it’s not always like his film music, or even his famous violin concerto, there is something about the quirky rhythmic energy, alternating with lyrical melodic lines, over a rich, expansive harmonic exploration which makes this music easily identifiable as being pure Korngold. Yet each Quartet is fascinatingly different from one another.
The 1st, written in 1924, is rather nervous and at times playful, but with aching lyrical lines – all of which remind me occasionally of the Richard Strauss of Till Eulenspiegel. Its very tunefulness and rhythmic propulsion also remind me of Korngold’s forthcoming film-scores, and also of his violin concerto to come more than 20 years in the future! There is a rich harmonic tapestry to this music which sounds decidedly Austrian. It is gorgeously played here; this music suits the Pacifica’s rich blend and expressive musicality beautifully.
The 2nd Quartet of 1933 is lighter, coquettish even – airier and more transparent in its scoring, and somewhat simpler in harmonic density. It’s imbued with more variety of mood, with elements of tantalizing good humor frequently bubbling to the surface. It’s downright playful in the charming Intermezzo. Even more than before, this music instantaneously becomes unmistakably Korngold. And the finale is the very definition of charming. The vividly characterized and truly characterful playing of the Pacifica Quartet is absolutely dazzling. This music leaps to life in such a whimsical, delightful, engaging way, it becomes a true masterpiece – making one wonder why this isn’t a staple of the string quartet repertoire.
The 3rd Quartet, written in 1944 after Korngold moved to Hollywood, gets us ever closer to the sound of his famous Violin Concerto of 1945. And as it utilizes themes from some of his film music, that opening Allegro moderato begins to sound even more familiar than the earlier works. And the jaunty, jagged Scherzo is simply brilliant – and sounds to be terribly difficult to play, especially the 1st violin part. You should hear Ms. Ganatra play this with such effortless virtuosity. She truly is the heart and soul of the Pacifica Quartet, demonstrating phenomenal bravura.
It’s a pity the final 6-minute Allegro wouldn’t fit on the first CD, which plays for 78 minutes without it. And with both the String Sextet and Piano Quintet contained on the 2nd disc, it plays for over 70 minutes as well. So the interruption is unavoidable. But it doesn’t really matter all that much; this final movement is a quirky thing, vaguely reminiscent of William Walton, which can kind of stand on its own anyway. It features writing for the entire group in multiple octaves pronouncing the main theme, followed by jagged ostinato figures played in octave violins over figures in the viola and cello, alternating with the same in reverse instrumentation. It ends with a virtuosic, rhythmic flourish, which sounds really difficult to play. Once heard, the insistent, rhythmic motifs throughout this movement are impossible to forget. In fact, they tend to get stuck in your head for the rest of the day. (In a good way!)
I must mention here that the recorded sound of the 3rd Quartet is not quite as gloriously silky and airy as heard in the first two; the group sounds just slightly darker and a touch confined. Curious why, I checked the booklet, which reveals the 3rd Quartet and the Piano Quintet were both recorded a year earlier with a different engineer. And it is in the Piano Quintet where the Alma Quartet’s recording on Challenge Classics edges ahead, due in large part to the recorded sound. Listening to pianist Severin von Eckardstein and the Alma Quartet, the music is notably fresher and more alive, with the piano afforded a bigger, more prominent importance. And the piece seems to benefit from that. In comparison, the sound on Cedille is ever so slightly congested, with the piano recessed back within a slightly murky acoustic, relegated almost to an accompanying role.1 Nevertheless, it is played with accomplishment and much sensitivity here by pianist Orion Weiss. And to put it in perspective, this isn’t serious, and isn’t seriously detrimental to the enjoyment of the piece as played by the Pacifica Quartet. It’s just…different.
And it doesn’t help that the CD places it immediately following the 3rd Quartet’s invigorating finale, as it is a heavier, more serious work, written in Germany more than 10 years earlier. Germanic in nature (even the movement tiles are in German), the opening movement displays lots of grand, sweeping themes in the strings over chordal accompaniment in the piano, while the Adagio consists of an extensive, almost Wagnerian set of variations. The Finale, after an intense pronouncement of the main theme by unisono strings and a dramatic violin cadenza, becomes much more lighthearted – good humored even – and even more reminiscent of Walton with its spiky, almost awkward, complex rhythms driving the melodies forward.
The recorded sound returns to gloriousness when we come to the String Sextet, which was recorded several months later with the same engineer as the first two Quartets. And I was absolutely ecstatic to see the group is joined for this recording by violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, formerly of the Dover Quartet.2 (Eric Kim, former principal cello of the Cincinnati Symphony, is the 2nd cellist.) With this lineup, it’s no wonder it’s absolutely fabulous.
The Sextet was composed while Korngold was still in his teens – nearly 10 years before his Piano Quintet. It is flavored with Brahms in the opening Moderato (even the Allegro is rhapsodic rather than overtly energetic), and even Mahler in the Adagio. But the youthful Korngold begins to spread his wings in the charming, if somewhat clumsy, waltz-like Intermezzo con grazia, and the Presto finale is one of his most exuberant creations, with an indication to be played “as fast as possible with fire and humor”. The Pacificas do just that, but never sound breathless, allowing time for the singing lines to soar over the scampering bustle.
All in all, this set from the Pacifica Quartet is an absolute treasure. It is surely the most completely satisfying recording of this music ever committed to disc. And as I mentioned above, it’s better played than most. First and foremost, the Pacifica Quartet are more characterful and engaging than any other recording of it I’ve heard. They play with a wider dynamic range and crisper articulation than the Almas (for example), highlighting the endless contrasts in moods and variety of articulation and dynamic markings, bringing the music vividly to life. And they infuse the music with a rhapsodic beauty which was somewhat curtailed with the Tippetts. The Doric Quartet was perhaps in the same league, though it’s been years since I’ve listened to it.
The bad news is that this release, like the America Voices album, is only available in CD format directly from Cedille Records. (Or, you can stream it if that’s your thing; it’s not mine.) But the price was reasonable and, as I recall, shipping was included. It arrived quickly, in about 3 or 4 days, so it worked out fine.
I had gotten to know the Korngold Quartets primarily from the Doric String Quartet’s survey for Chandos (2010-12). And even more with the Tippett Quartet’s 2021 recording for Naxos, which was notable for squeezing all 3 works onto one CD (77+ minutes). Still, it was admiration rather than true love. It wasn’t until I heard the Alma Quartet’s recordings on Challenge Classics a couple years ago that I began to truly love this music – especially as their reading of the Piano Quintet was exceptionally good. But sadly they did not record the String Sextet. It is cause for celebration then that the Pacifica includes them all, and their playing is arguably the best of the bunch. (More on this below.)
The Pacifica Quartet, based in Bloomington, Indiana, has been around a while. (I was going to say “forever”; 30 years really is a long time.) Formed in 1994, husband and wife team Simin Ganatra (1st violin) and Brandon Vamos (cello) have remained constant members throughout the decades. Amazingly, they have consistently maintained the characteristically warm, expressive and beautifully blended Pacifica Quartet sound through various members on the inner voices which have come and gone along the way. The current 2nd violin (Austin Hartman) and violist (Mark Holloway) joined the group in 2017. And as good as the group has always been, they surely have reached peak perfection with the current roster.
And this album is, quite simply, glorious. I could end the review right here and conclude simply, “Anyone interested in Korngold chamber music absolutely must acquire this.” But I suppose I should also add a few comments as to why I would suggest that. And even this can be summed up succinctly: music aside, the playing here is magnificent – expressive, characterful, dynamic, articulate and beautifully blended. As is the recorded sound, which is absolutely lovely – warm, colorful, detailed and positively glowing.
Beginning with the String Quartets, it would be difficult to guess this as any other composer than Korngold. Though it’s not always like his film music, or even his famous violin concerto, there is something about the quirky rhythmic energy, alternating with lyrical melodic lines, over a rich, expansive harmonic exploration which makes this music easily identifiable as being pure Korngold. Yet each Quartet is fascinatingly different from one another.
The 1st, written in 1924, is rather nervous and at times playful, but with aching lyrical lines – all of which remind me occasionally of the Richard Strauss of Till Eulenspiegel. Its very tunefulness and rhythmic propulsion also remind me of Korngold’s forthcoming film-scores, and also of his violin concerto to come more than 20 years in the future! There is a rich harmonic tapestry to this music which sounds decidedly Austrian. It is gorgeously played here; this music suits the Pacifica’s rich blend and expressive musicality beautifully.
The 2nd Quartet of 1933 is lighter, coquettish even – airier and more transparent in its scoring, and somewhat simpler in harmonic density. It’s imbued with more variety of mood, with elements of tantalizing good humor frequently bubbling to the surface. It’s downright playful in the charming Intermezzo. Even more than before, this music instantaneously becomes unmistakably Korngold. And the finale is the very definition of charming. The vividly characterized and truly characterful playing of the Pacifica Quartet is absolutely dazzling. This music leaps to life in such a whimsical, delightful, engaging way, it becomes a true masterpiece – making one wonder why this isn’t a staple of the string quartet repertoire.
The 3rd Quartet, written in 1944 after Korngold moved to Hollywood, gets us ever closer to the sound of his famous Violin Concerto of 1945. And as it utilizes themes from some of his film music, that opening Allegro moderato begins to sound even more familiar than the earlier works. And the jaunty, jagged Scherzo is simply brilliant – and sounds to be terribly difficult to play, especially the 1st violin part. You should hear Ms. Ganatra play this with such effortless virtuosity. She truly is the heart and soul of the Pacifica Quartet, demonstrating phenomenal bravura.
It’s a pity the final 6-minute Allegro wouldn’t fit on the first CD, which plays for 78 minutes without it. And with both the String Sextet and Piano Quintet contained on the 2nd disc, it plays for over 70 minutes as well. So the interruption is unavoidable. But it doesn’t really matter all that much; this final movement is a quirky thing, vaguely reminiscent of William Walton, which can kind of stand on its own anyway. It features writing for the entire group in multiple octaves pronouncing the main theme, followed by jagged ostinato figures played in octave violins over figures in the viola and cello, alternating with the same in reverse instrumentation. It ends with a virtuosic, rhythmic flourish, which sounds really difficult to play. Once heard, the insistent, rhythmic motifs throughout this movement are impossible to forget. In fact, they tend to get stuck in your head for the rest of the day. (In a good way!)
I must mention here that the recorded sound of the 3rd Quartet is not quite as gloriously silky and airy as heard in the first two; the group sounds just slightly darker and a touch confined. Curious why, I checked the booklet, which reveals the 3rd Quartet and the Piano Quintet were both recorded a year earlier with a different engineer. And it is in the Piano Quintet where the Alma Quartet’s recording on Challenge Classics edges ahead, due in large part to the recorded sound. Listening to pianist Severin von Eckardstein and the Alma Quartet, the music is notably fresher and more alive, with the piano afforded a bigger, more prominent importance. And the piece seems to benefit from that. In comparison, the sound on Cedille is ever so slightly congested, with the piano recessed back within a slightly murky acoustic, relegated almost to an accompanying role.1 Nevertheless, it is played with accomplishment and much sensitivity here by pianist Orion Weiss. And to put it in perspective, this isn’t serious, and isn’t seriously detrimental to the enjoyment of the piece as played by the Pacifica Quartet. It’s just…different.
And it doesn’t help that the CD places it immediately following the 3rd Quartet’s invigorating finale, as it is a heavier, more serious work, written in Germany more than 10 years earlier. Germanic in nature (even the movement tiles are in German), the opening movement displays lots of grand, sweeping themes in the strings over chordal accompaniment in the piano, while the Adagio consists of an extensive, almost Wagnerian set of variations. The Finale, after an intense pronouncement of the main theme by unisono strings and a dramatic violin cadenza, becomes much more lighthearted – good humored even – and even more reminiscent of Walton with its spiky, almost awkward, complex rhythms driving the melodies forward.
The recorded sound returns to gloriousness when we come to the String Sextet, which was recorded several months later with the same engineer as the first two Quartets. And I was absolutely ecstatic to see the group is joined for this recording by violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, formerly of the Dover Quartet.2 (Eric Kim, former principal cello of the Cincinnati Symphony, is the 2nd cellist.) With this lineup, it’s no wonder it’s absolutely fabulous.
The Sextet was composed while Korngold was still in his teens – nearly 10 years before his Piano Quintet. It is flavored with Brahms in the opening Moderato (even the Allegro is rhapsodic rather than overtly energetic), and even Mahler in the Adagio. But the youthful Korngold begins to spread his wings in the charming, if somewhat clumsy, waltz-like Intermezzo con grazia, and the Presto finale is one of his most exuberant creations, with an indication to be played “as fast as possible with fire and humor”. The Pacificas do just that, but never sound breathless, allowing time for the singing lines to soar over the scampering bustle.
All in all, this set from the Pacifica Quartet is an absolute treasure. It is surely the most completely satisfying recording of this music ever committed to disc. And as I mentioned above, it’s better played than most. First and foremost, the Pacifica Quartet are more characterful and engaging than any other recording of it I’ve heard. They play with a wider dynamic range and crisper articulation than the Almas (for example), highlighting the endless contrasts in moods and variety of articulation and dynamic markings, bringing the music vividly to life. And they infuse the music with a rhapsodic beauty which was somewhat curtailed with the Tippetts. The Doric Quartet was perhaps in the same league, though it’s been years since I’ve listened to it.
Finally, the recorded sound from Cedille is as lovely as it gets. It’s sumptuous when it needs to be, but airy and transparent at the same time. Only the Piano Quintet brings slight reservations in this regard (as noted above), but it is inconsequential when considering this set as a whole, for the musicmaking is simply exquisite. Moreover, the entire production is first-class, including a very informative booklet with in-depth details about the composer, the music and the musicians.
As I stated earlier, this recording is a must for anyone who enjoys Korngold’s chamber music. But even more than that, it is a must for anyone who enjoys superb string quartet playing. The Pacifica Quartet has always been one of the best quartets around, but they have outdone themselves with this one.
1 The booklet informs us the hall is the same in all these recordings, so I must ascribe this anomaly to ill-advised microphone placement for the piano.
2 Milena was an original founding member of the Dover Quartet, playing with them from 2008-2022, before moving on to “other things”. And, frankly, the group has never been the same. (I’m so grateful they finished recording their complete Beethoven cycle before she left.) After going through 2 or 3 successive violists, the group now seems in peril as their latest violist (Julianne Lee) left to rejoin the Boston Symphony, and shortly thereafter, 1st violinist Joel Link was named concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra. So it’s uncertain where that leaves the 2 remaining members, Bryan Lee (2nd violin) and Camden Shaw (cello). We shall see.
