March 2007
Gustav Mahler, who cited his own songs in his symphonies, made a very effective string-orchestra arrangement of the D minor Quartet, in which Schubert used one of his own as the subject of the variations that constitute the slow movement, and may well have been motivated by a bond he felt with another great song composer whose instrumental works had to wait for posthumous recognition. But such speculation, while possibly intriguing, is quite beside the point, which is simply that these are deeply felt, exceptionally communicative responses to the remarkable material, on a level of intimacy (as well as expertise) that can make a chamber-music experience memorable, whether live or recorded -- particularly when the recording is as natural-sounding as this one. In short: not a sweeping replacement for existing favorites, but definitely a benchmark issue for our time. GO BACK TO: |