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Reger: Complete String Trios & Piano Quartets Vol 1 / Aperto Piano Quartet


Release Date: 08/26/2008 
Label:  Naxos   Catalog #: 8570785   Spars Code: n/a 
Composer:  Max Reger
Performer:  Stefan Fehlandt,  Gernot Süssmuth,  Hans-Jacob Eschenburg,  Frank-Immo Zichner,   ... 
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Aperto Piano Quartet
Number of Discs: 1 
Recorded in: Stereo 
Length: 1 Hours 12 Mins. 

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Notes and Editorial Reviews

While Max Reger's A minor String Trio and D minor Piano Quartet offer little in the way of truly memorable tunes, their restless harmonic density consistently holds your attention and keeps you guessing. The Aperto players favor the musical equivalent of broad-brush strokes in the Trio by way of frequent dynamic swells and emphatic inflections of phrase. This creates a diverse and intensified tonal palette that wonderfully suits the slow movement's overcast mood and spacious time scale, as well as emphasizing the Allegro con moto finale's frequently unpredictable modulations. Yet the latter movement benefits more from the Manheimmer Quartet members' lighter, suppler bow work and greater expressive economy. Similarly, the Aperto's slower, Read more earthier Scherzo significantly differs from the Mannheimer's brisk, conversational interpretation.

Close-up engineering underlines the big D minor Piano Quartet's symphonic dimensions, as well as creating a kind of aural fatigue that allows little textural variety. Moreover, the ensemble's frequent ritards at cadences (in addition to those that Reger indicates) impedes the outer movements' flow. This does not take anything away from each musician's obvious mastery, to say nothing of the physical and psychic stamina needed to get through any major Reger opus all in one piece. As such, Reger fans will welcome a chance to sample, and perhaps savor, these fascinating, seldom-heard works.

--Jed Distler, ClassisToday.com
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Works on This Recording

1. Trio for Violin, Viola and Cello no 1 in A minor, Op. 77b by Max Reger
Performer:  Stefan Fehlandt (Viola), Gernot Süssmuth (Violin), Hans-Jacob Eschenburg (Cello)
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Aperto Piano Quartet
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1904; Germany 
 Length: 23 Minutes 42 Secs. 
2. Quartet for Piano and Strings in D minor, Op. 113 by Max Reger
Performer:  Frank-Immo Zichner (Piano), Gernot Süssmuth (Violin), Felix Schwartz (Viola),
Hans-Jacob Eschenburg (Cello)
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Aperto Piano Quartet
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1910; Germany 
 Length: 47 Minutes 55 Secs. 

Sound Samples

String Trio in A minor, Op. 77b: I. Sostenuto - Allegro agitato
String Trio in A minor, Op. 77b: II. Larghetto
String Trio in A minor, Op. 77b: III. Scherzo: Vivace
String Trio in A minor, Op. 77b: IV. Allegro con moto
Piano Quartet in D minor, Op. 113: I. Allegro moderato (ma con passione)
Piano Quartet in D minor, Op. 113: II. Vivace - Adagio - Vivace
Piano Quartet in D minor, Op. 113: III. Larghetto
Piano Quartet in D minor, Op. 113: IV. Allegro energico

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review:  ( 1 Customer Review )
 Good July 6, 2012 By F. Franssen (Roermond, Limburg) See All My Reviews "Good and seriously music" Report Abuse
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