French discoveries and stellar quartets
This month’s round-up also features the German pianist Carl Seemann
Belcea Quartet – The Complete Warner Recordings (Warner Classics 5419721143) we are treated to 11 discs of cuts from 2000-09, a fruitful period for the ensemble in the studio. Well established by this point, the Belceas go in heavy with Schubert, whose works fill four of the discs here, along with a good slice of Britten, Brahms and Mozart. A glittering French selection (Debussy, Dutilleux, Ravel) opens the set and the quartet is not alone, with guest spots in Fauré, Barber and Butterworth from the likes of tenor Ian Bostridge, baritone Jonathan Lemalu and Thomas Adès on piano.
The great Fitzwilliam Quartet is celebrated with its Complete Decca Recordings (Decca 485 3639), a treasurable 15-disc collection featuring original jacket artwork and a 40-page booklet, all sumptuously presented. Acclaimed for its Shostakovich, it’s only right that the composer looms large – all 15 of his string quartets are accounted for, plus the Piano Quintet and Seven Romances among others. That would be enough to recommend it, but with Beethoven, Brahms, Borodin and the rest, it’s quite the bounty. Compositrices – New Light on French Romantic Women Composers (Bru Zane BZ2006) is a glorious collection of music by names crushingly unfamiliar and others whose monikers are becoming just that bit more well known. This is a great entry point to the music of Mel Bonis, Hélène Montgeroult and Pauline Viardot, but with a total of 21 composers, there are many more to discover. As with all of Bru Zane’s releases, it is beautifully presented and the selection – including orchestral, chamber and vocal repertoire – is impeccably performed.
The German pianist Carl Seemann performed his first public recital in 1935, and his unshowy artistry at the keyboard won him much acclaim in the years that followed. The Orfeo Recordings (Orfeo C260007) picks up his story some 18 years later, with recordings made from 1952-79, and features some notable performances. The repertoire is broad, from two discs of solo Bach to concertos by Mozart and Beethoven and a disc of Berg and Hindemith. The latter is notable as the 1955 recording is conducted by Hindemith.