Search - Pro Arte Piano Quartet, Paul Marrion :: Hermann Goetz: Piano Quintets, Op. 16; Piano Quartet, Op. 6

Two Chamber Works Worth Reviving

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 06/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To the extent that Hermann Goetz (1840-1876) is remembered at all it is for his comic opera 'The Taming of the Shrew' ('Der Widerspenstigen Zähmung'). But in his all too brief life -- he died just short of his 36th birthday -- he left a body of work that includes another opera, 'Francesca da Rimini' (finished by Ernst Frank after his death), a symphony, two piano concerti, a violin concerto, a string quartet, some lieder, choral works and piano music,



The especially fine Piano Quintet in C Minor, Op. 16, written in 1874 for the 'Trout Quintet' combination of piano, violin, viola, cello and double bass, contains a quotation from Goethe: 'Und wenn der Mensch in seiner Qual verstummt, gab mir ein Gott zu sagen, was ich leide' ('Though Man cannot speak of his Fate, a God gave me the power to say how I suffer'). As the Grove's has it, 'It is the mature work of a man who, though resigned to death, still has much to say and the technique with which to say it.' It is characterized by masterful construction, reminiscent of Schumann, and a plethora of memorable melodies. Particularly notable is the wide range of the texture, with the bass often playing in its deepest range from the very opening measures. The performance here by the Pro Arte Piano Quartet with bassist Paul Marrion (all members of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Players) is all one could ask.



The Piano Quartet in E Major, Op. 6, is earlier but no less impressive. It is long -- 40+ minutes -- and expansive. It revels in wonderful melodies, is somewhat lighter in texture, has an inventive three-voice canon as the third movement's trio and an almost Brahmsian finale that begins with a hesitant slow introduction followed by a rollicking workout that carries us headlong to the work's end. The quartet is cholesterol-rich and all the better for that.



These two pieces have been recorded on cpo but I have not heard that issue. But one hopes that these recordings presage a resurgence of Goetz's music on CD.



Heartily recommended.



Scott Morrison"