Be that as it may, the Bacewicz was the ultimate enticement for me to buy this CD. And with the price of CDs these days, I’m being much more selective in what I shell out money for, not taking chances anymore on frivolous purchases.1 So with that sentiment lingering in my mind, it’s perhaps not surprising I found this release to be less than satisfactory – for several reasons.
Beginning with the basics, let’s talk about the sound – from the recording and the (unnamed) venue, to the playing itself. The production doesn’t tell us where or when these pieces were recorded.2 It only lists the producer/engineer (Alan Bise). I looked for these details because I found the recorded sound to be less than excellent – which is surprising from this label.
My first impression listening to the Bacewicz is that the group is recorded up close in an intimate setting – a small, confined room rather than a hall or performance studio. The group is unnaturally forward, with heightened dynamic extremes. The opening Andante starts almost imperceptibly, soon growing with vigor, with impressive momentum and propulsion. The playing is notable for crisp articulation and strong characterization of the various sections – enhanced by the immediate, vivid recording. So we’re off to a good start. But as the movement progresses, I begin to miss the sweeping, rhapsodic harmonic richness and soaring melodies I normally associate with this piece. It is clinically detailed, not unlike the Chandos recording for the Silesian Quartet, but without their silkiness of tone and airy acoustic. I also notice the viola in this group is not quite as dark or richly textured as usual, and the overall balance (as recorded) seems to favor the violins. These factors combine to make the group sound slightly less richly blended, despite their imposing presence. Nonetheless, the playing is characterful and engaging, and I’m enjoying the music.
And that feeling continues in the Andante, which is simple and plaintive, taken at a nicely flowing, forward-moving tempo. It’s very effective here, supple and lighter in texture, affording it a searching, almost yearning, introspective quality. The final Allegro is lively and nimble, with crisp articulation and excellent dynamics. It is marked giocoso, and that’s exactly how it sounds. It has good energy too, generating plenty of momentum.
So even with the close perspective and a peculiar leanness to the group’s body of sound, so far so good. But matters become more problematic as the group ventures into more difficult territory in the remainder of the program, where the extremely close microphones allow absolutely nowhere to hide.
Britten’s 1st String Quartet has never been one of my favorites and I was hoping the Telegraph Quartet would convince me otherwise. But they don’t – especially in that challenging 1st movement, where I began to realize something was seriously amiss.
The sonic impressions I noted in the Bacewicz seem even more unfavorable here. In that weird opening Andante sostenuto of the first movement, the very close microphone placement becomes a real problem. The close-up perspective is ruthlessly revealing here, making this passage sound bleak, icy, exposed and too loud. It is the complete opposite of atmospheric and spacious, right where the music (and playing) needs it the most. They sound a bit unstable and insecure in intonation – ruthlessly exposed by microphones which sound like they are mere inches from the fingerboards. To be fair, this passage (and every time it recurs) doesn’t sound pleasant when anybody plays it, and one wonders what Britten was thinking when he wrote it. But it really is too stark for comfort here, and I was grabbing for the remote to turn it off. But I really wanted to give this a chance, so I forged ahead. And the immediacy of the recorded perspective eventually proved more acceptable in the Allegro vivo, emphasizing the energy and vigor in the playing. However, there remains a brightness to the violin tone which is bothersome, and, musically, I found this movement to be too long and less than appealing.
Matters improve musically in the remaining movements. The playing is well-executed, with crisp articulation and dynamic gusto in the Allegretto – though I am constantly aware of the recording, which continues to be too close and a little bright, precluding truly soft playing. (The opening, for example, is marked ppp, but sounds more like a comfortable p.) The same applies to the Andante calmo, but the playing is heartfelt and plaintive – very moving and not at all weighed down with itself. And the final Molto vivace is frisky and playful, and vividly characterized – especially in that teasing, coquettish central section immediately following the 1st violin’s octave glissando. Very nice. And the group ends it with bravura.
The playing is so persuasive, characterful and articulate, it’s a pity the recording isn’t more flattering. I might have enjoyed this much more with more alluring sound. This is a missed opportunity, I’m afraid.
And then we come to Weinberg. Ugh. I’ve never liked his music, and listening to what this group plays, I can confidently say I especially don’t like his 6th String Quartet. I initially questioned why on earth the Telegraph Quartet would pick it, but then remembered their theme of this album – music from the time during and just after WWII. As this quartet was composed in 1946, it was the choice by default.3 (Surely there are any number of other string quartets from the 1940s and ‘50s they could have chosen instead.) But I listened with an open mind, wanting for all the world to find something worthwhile in it. But I couldn’t. It just sounds like second-rate Shostakovich. And that’s actually more complimentary than it deserves. I tried listening to it twice and it found it more and more disagreeable and irritating the longer it dragged on. (The Adagio alone is agonizing, going on unmusically for nearly 8 minutes. My god.)
Not being familiar with this piece, I can only judge it from this recording. It sounds to me that the playing – and indeed the music itself – obstinately lacks warmth and emotional involvement, exposing an absence of real creative inspiration (or even minimal accomplishment) in the writing. It just goes on interminably without musical substance or purpose. And the recording itself once again exacerbates it with persistently edgy violin tone and that bit of leanness in the overall blend I noted in the Bacewicz. I couldn’t make it all the way through this either time I tried. And I really did try.
So, all things considered, is this CD an essential purchase? Not really. While it was fun to hear a string quartet I’ve not encountered before, I could never get past the conscious awareness (and continual sonic reminders) that I was listening to a recording rather than the real thing. The very best recordings are notable for drawing you into the music and immersing you into the musicmaking so completely that you forget you’re listening to a CD at home on the electronics. That never for an instant happened when listening to this Azica recording.
If only the recorded sound were more pleasing, this album might have been more musically gratifying and significant. But at the end of the day, there are a number of excellent recordings of the Bacewicz to be had, and the Britten is well-represented on Chandos and BIS. And I can happily live out the rest of my life without ever having to hear the Weinberg again. This is the Telegraph Quartet’s second recording for Azika. I’ve not heard the first, so I can’t say if the sound was any better there. But can say I’d like to hear more from them – especially in more alluring recorded sound and appealing music.
1 I don’t mean to pick on Azica; EVERYBODY is raising prices across the board. And it’s exasperating. Fortunately, I preordered this one before the latest round of exorbitant price increases in September, where this title went from $16 to $20 overnight. (And it is only available as a digital download in Europe. Sigh.)
2 Nor does it provide timings for individual tracks. Tsk tsk.
3 Does this group actually like the Weinberg 6th?
