Elgar: Piano Quintet; String Quartet (2011)

by Goldner String Quartet, Piers Lane (piano)

Much like Schumann, Edward Elgar also had a burst of inspiration that produced an abundance of chamber music. From 1917-1918, Elgar spent his days in a cottage in Sussex, the surrounding nature serving as his muse. Among other works, the time in the English countryside yielded a violin sonata, a string quartet, and a piano quintet, the latter two of which are heard on this Hyperion album. Unlike the concertos or the large-scale orchestral works, these two chamber compositions are infrequently played. They both possess a ... Read More

Much like Schumann, Edward Elgar also had a burst of inspiration that produced an abundance of chamber music. From 1917-1918, Elgar spent his days in a cottage in Sussex, the surrounding nature serving as his muse. Among other works, the time in the English countryside yielded a violin sonata, a string quartet, and a piano quintet, the latter two of which are heard on this Hyperion album. Unlike the concertos or the large-scale orchestral works, these two chamber compositions are infrequently played. They both possess a good deal of introspection and stillness, so much so that the music can sometimes feel stagnant and dull. Solid performances like the ones given by the Goldner String Quartet and pianist Piers Lane certainly help the cause, but these are still not the most stunning pieces in the repertoire. The Goldner Quartet plays with a rich, well-balanced sound that is notable for the power and assertiveness with which the inner voices emerge when necessary. Intonation is generally solid, though... Read Less