Reviews
GMCD 7274 Beethoven Contemporary
Arrangements for Chamber Ensemble
November/December 2006
The Locrian Ensemble
consists of 2 violinists, Rolf Wilson and Rita Manning, 2 violists, Philip Dukes
and Morgan Goff, with Cellist Justin Pearson. My colleague Brian Hick, came
across them on a cruise, as told in his Cellist on the High Seas article an page
19, and listening to this excellently recorded and presented Guild CD I can only
add my own praise for their musicianship, It seems only fair that this
repertoire is so off the beaten track, lying an shelves for a couple of
centuries, it deserves every now and again to be lifted and have the dust blown
off before being played. As such, these arrangements of three of Beethoven's
familiar works by lesser composers of his own time, probably made to suit groups
of friends to play at home, demonstrate all too clearly that Beethoven knew what
he was doing when putting pen to manuscript paper. Nevertheless, the playing is
first rate and I look forward to hear these gifted string players in ideal music
for their ensemble. DENBY
RICHARDS
International
Record Review – January 2005
Beethoven of a different kind is to be found on a new Guild CD, ‘Contemporary
Arrangements for Chamber Ensemble’, of the First and Eighth Symphonies and the
Pathétique Sonata, played by the Locrian Ensemble. We know that Beethoven
himself arranged the Second Symphony for pinao trio and the Piano Sonata, Op. 14
No. 1 for string quartet, among other transcriptions, but so far as modern
scholarship is concerned, Derek Adlam’s excellent notes point out that we do not
know who made these arrangements, although it is undeniable that they were made
during Beethoven’s lifetime: sometimes, as in the Eighth Symphony transcription,
not long after the work first appeared in its original guise. Whoever made these
versions, they were done by a most gifted musician (or more than one), and I
found it truly enlightening to hear the Sonata played as a string quintet. The
performances are admirable, as is the recording. Robert Matthew-Walker
BBC
Music Magazine – November 2004
Beethoven
Contemporary Arrangements for Chamber Ensemble: Symphonies Nos 1 & 8; Piano
Sonata in C minor, Op 13 (Pathétique)
Locrian Ensemble
Guild GMCD 7274 69:54 mins…£££
‘The question of
arrangements’, Beethoven once acknowledged, ‘is altogether one which a composer
would resist in vain’, and these anonymous string quintet transcriptions of
three of his most famous works give us an idea of what he had to endure. The
arrangements of the Eighth Symphony and the Pathétique Sonata are actually
surprisingly resourceful, and rather superior to Beethoven’s own attempt at a
string quartet version of his Op. 14/1 Piano Sonata; and the Locrain Ensemble’s
gutsy performances make a persuasive case for them.
Much less successful as
a transcription is the Symphony No. 1. This was the very arrangement that
aroused Beethoven’s ire when it was issued as though it were authentic. In fact,
it makes little attempt to reproduce the energy of the original (though slightly
more alert tempi might have helped the outer movements in the Locrian Ensemble’s
performance), and was clearly made for players who couldn’t manage semiquaver
tremolos. A missing bar in the slow movement’s exposition makes nonsense of a
rising harmonic sequence, and should have been inserted (it’s there in the
recapitulation); and a prominent misprint in the minuet – D flat in place of D
natural – could also have been corrected. But this well-recorded disc is an
enterprising and enjoyable venture.
Misha Donat
Performance
ÖÖÖÖ
Sound
ÖÖÖÖ
MusicWeb Thursday October 10 04
An
imaginative disc ... performances are well integrated and sound well rehearsed.
Jonathan Woolf - MusicWeb
Ludwig van
BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Contemporary Arrangements for Chamber Ensemble
Pathétique Sonata Op.13 (1799)
Symphony No.8 in F major Op.93 (1814)
Symphony No.1 in C major Op.21 (1800)
 Locrian
Ensemble
Recorded St Martin’s Church, East Woodhay (Pathétique Sonata) and St Silas
Church, Chalk Farm, London (remainder), 2002
GUILD
GMCD 7274 [69.54]
This
imaginative disc – not the first and assuredly not the last to explore the
contemporary chamber arrangements of Beethoven’s compositions – works rather
well as a programme. All three works were arranged for string quintet during
Beethoven’s lifetime, though not necessarily by him and in fact not necessarily
by two of his most famous acolytes and copyists Czerny and Ries. Both certainly
did make arrangements of their teacher’s music but none of these three works can
be ascribed definitively to them or anyone else. It’s not even certain that they
gained Beethoven’s imprimatur either, though the booklet notes speculate that
"presumably" they did.
The three
arrangements appeared shortly after the premieres of the works in their original
guise: the Pathétique about eight years after premiere and then, escalating, the
First Symphony three years after publication of the orchestral score and the
Eighth two years afterwards. Certainly they function idiomatically for domestic
consumption. If the Pathétique is the most unusual involving a transferred
medium is involved and keyboard complexities are translated to an all-string
medium. The Symphonies are probably the most rewarding in terms of elucidating
the scores, tracing harmonic implications and otherwise gaining a greater
understanding of the compositional issues.
The
Pathétique was recorded in St Martin’s Church, East Woodhay which is very
slightly too resonant an acoustic; more so than St Silas Church, Chalk Farm,
where the symphonies were recorded. But it does suit the amplitude of the
quintet medium well enough and the playing is loyal, colourful and adept. It’s
an odd experience listening to this transformed Piano Sonata with its flighty
passagework for the first fiddle and the strong inner part writing for violas
and anchoring cello. The first movement lacks the vehemence of the original and
the second – though I agree with the notes about the cantabile aspect –
rather loses the starkness of the piano version. Symphonic work is, of course,
simplified in these arrangements but the inner part writing is admirably
conveyed. I was especially taken by the Allegretto of the Eighth. This does
justice to its gruff wit and shows just how convincing a structure it is as well
as why it should be so successful.
The booklet notes are helpful. The performances are well integrated and sound
well rehearsed. I’m not quite sure what constituency the disc will have – but
who knows, perhaps it will encourage a spate of domestic music making in
emulation.
Jonathan
Woolf
MusicWeb Wednesday August 25 04
Ludwig van
BEETHOVEN
(1770-1827)
Contemporary Arrangements for Chamber Ensemble.
Piano Sonata No. 8
in C minor, Op. 13, ‘Pathétique’ (1799, arr. publ.Haslinger).
Symphonies: No. 1 in C,
Op. 21 (1800, arr. publ. Simrock, c1803); No. 8 in F, Op. 93 (1814, arr. publ.
Haslinger 1816)
Locrian
Ensemble/Rolf Wilson, Rita Ma.
Rec. St. Martin’s Church, East Woodhay, Berkshire on May 27th, 2002
(Op. 13); St. Silas Church, Chalk Farm, London, on January 13th-14th,
2002 (rest).
GUILD
GMCD7274 [DDD] [69’54]
An
interesting concept, brought off with real élan. All of these arrangements are
contemporary with the composer (all within Beethoven’s lifetime). The snag is
no-one’s quite sure who did them. The Pathétique arrangement was published in
1807 (or thereabouts) by Tobias Haslinger, who may have been the arranger
himself. Actually, it is remarkably effective, once the shock of the opening
chord is over. Instead of a hard-edged piano accent, the strings are more
cushioned, taking away some of the visceral nature of the moment. The
performance by the Locrian Ensemble is alive, if curiously somewhat distanced.
Part-writing is by the very nature of the beast clearer and a C-minor energy
does flow throughout the first movement.
The famous
slow movement is very lyrical and restful (when one plays it there is a tendency
to think in terms of the string quartet, anyway – it is even notated to imply a
quartet of some description!). The finale has a relevant feeling of forward
motion, unfortunately sagging in the middle (as the players seem to get a little
self-indulgent).
The Eighth
Symphony is next in playing order (the listed playing order on the front cover
is exactly in reverse!). It’s amazing how much energy the Locrian Ensemble
brings to the first movement; even the very opening is the requisite explosion
of joy! This is furious and zesty playing - it really sounds as if they went for
it in the studio! The diminuendo in the opening bars of the ‘mechanistic’ second
movement may raise eyebrows (it demeans the tick-tock element) and the third
movement is perhaps not as muscular as it could be. The finale too suffers from
a low-voltage approach.
The First
Symphony is more consistently charged and alive. While certain elements are
certainly demeaned by the reduced scoring, cheeky exchanges work remarkably
well. The brisk tempo for the slow movement is perhaps surprising, but it
actually exactly reflects the designation. It is the finale that is the
highlight here, definitely comedic and rhythmically on-the-ball. It’s just a
little bit tame towards the end; this is a young man’s music, after all.
This is a
superb, thoroughly enjoyable disc. Michael Ponder’s recording (he is both
Producer and Balance Engineer) is superb, with just the right mount of space,
yet letting through all the detail.
Well worth
investigation. The Locrian Ensemble excels itself. Do try and hear this disc.
Colin
Clarke
Page revised Monday February 05 2007
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