The
Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 30
, of
Sergey Taneyev
(1911), is not often performed, perhaps because it poses technical challenges even for well-oiled chamber groups with its density and 18-minutes-plus opening movement. It is a bit surprising that nobody has thought to pair it with
Robert Schumann
's
Piano Quintet in E flat major, Op. 44
.
Taneyev
clearly had
Schumann
's quintet in mind when he wrote his own, and the two works have much in common even beyond the presence of funeral march slow movements in both.
expands upon the chamber music language of
(and that of
Tchaikovsky
), bringing to the fore the shifts of mood that are subtle in
's work. The
Sacconi Quartet
catches these and brings just the right balance of charm and tension to
's unique Scherzo. The group transfers the unsettled mood of the
quintet to
's piece, making for a very cohesive presentation but tending to strip the
of its usual triumphant mood. This is fresh but will not be to all tastes. Nevertheless, the fine performance of
's quintet here is absolutely worth the price of admission. ~ James Manheim