A Pivotal Figure In Russian Music

Putting together an all star group to perform chamber music isn't a guarantee of success but it works wonderfully on this disk of Taneyev Chamber Music. The disk is the idea of Mikhail Pletnev who plays piano throughout on the two works featured, the Quintet for Piano, 2 Violins, Viola and Cello and the Trio for Piano Violin and Cello. The violinists are Vadim Repin and Ilya Gringolts ( it is Repin who also plays on the trio ) while Nobuko Imai plays viola and Lynn Harrell cello. Pletnev makes a strong case for Taneyev's pivotal role in Russian music, calling him the greatest polyphonist after Bach no less and noting his pupils included Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev and Scriabin. Both of these chamber pieces are very long works ( as a point of trivia, I think it clocks in comfortably as the longest single disk I have at over 82 minutes when received wisdom is that the capacity of one cd is 80 minutes ) The piano trio could be said to be Brahmsian in concept and realisation but it is still an individual and arresting work. The Quintet is the masterpiece on offer here, however, an eloquent and original work. Based around a massive sonata structure, it retains coherance and grandeur with an almost Brucknerian sense of architecture. The unusual combination of instruments places it outside of the realm of most permanent performing ensembles, so thanks are due to Pletnev for putting this project together. It's also pleasing the DG can still occasionally get behind a less obviously commercial proposition and one that was rewarded with award winning status.