Search - Artemis Quartet, Leif Ove Andsnes :: Schumann, Brahms: Piano Quintets

An odd mixture of inspiration and ordinariness

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 09/27/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you were to sample the first and last movements of the Brahms Piano Quintet on this CD, the musical alliance of Andsnes and the Artemis Qt. seem ideal. Aided by gorgeous recorded sound, the ensemble carries wonderful conviction in their phrasing -- you are pulled into a genuinely complex emotional world. I wouldn't rank the Artemis among the front rank of quartets that have recorded this masterpiece, but hey have a lovely sheen and a light touch. It's really Andsnes who carries the day -- he showed himself to be an outstandingBrahms player in his recording with Simon Rattle of the Piano Cto #1. But the rhythms of the third movement seem a bit mechanical, and I don't feel the pathos of the second movement. The group seems intent on making sure that we don't hear the same old musty Brahms, but in cleaning off the varnish, I think they lost some of the painting.



The Schumann is an enjoyable, skillful reading, but I don't hear much personality. Andsnes and the Artemis prefer a quick-step first movement, but when they get to the Scherzo and finale, which benefit from sparkle and brio, their pacing is moderate -- I found myself wishing for a lot more zest. In every respect it's the Brahms that arouses the most interest. The Emerson Qt. and Leon Fleisher have jsut released their own masterful account, which this one can't compare to, but on its own terms the Andsnes-Artemis reading is certainly laudable.



P.S. -- In fairness I should note that this recording became one of the Gramophone's Recordings of the Year for 2008."

Precise but lacking warmth

Ross Fletcher | New Zealand | 02/19/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If it's quick tempi you seek in these two works you won't be disappointed with this recording. Certainly Andsnes is the star and the playing of the Artemis is precise and tuneful but both performances lack the warmth I would expect in these two Romantic masterworks. Sometimes there is a rather clinical feel to the playing. The acoustic is just live enough to give a bloom to the sound unlike the Schubert Ensemble's recording (Schumann) where the excess echo causes serious blurring.



The Artemis' upper strings have a tendency to a thin sound at times but there is plenty of grunt at the lower end and a good separation between all instruments. Unfortunately I think this is a recording I would tire of quite quickly because overall the playing is not sufficiently engaging. There are better readings of the Schumann but the Brahms has considerable merit on this disc."