Mozart: String Quintets Nos. 3 & 4 (CD Review)

by Karl Nehring

Mozart: String Quintet No. 3 in C K.515; String Quintet No. 4 in G minor K.516. Quatour Ébène (Pierre Colombet & Gabriel Le Magadure, violins; Marie Chilemme, viola; Raphaël Merlin, cello); Antoine Tamestit, viola. Erato 5054197213328

 

Probably the string quintet that is the most familiar to the majority of classical music enthusiasts is the String Quintet in C major (D. 956) by Schubert. That quintet differs from these by Mozart, however, in that it is scored for string quartet plus an extra cello, while the Mozart quintets find the string quartet being augmented by an extra viola. How Quatour Ébène chose to add this particular violist (Antoine Tamestit) to form a quintet to play this music with them for this recording is explained in the liner notes by their cellist, Raphaël Merlin: “Little did we know when we signed up for the 2004 string quartet competition, that among the contenders  for the other three disciplines (flute, harp, and viola: inevitably evocative of Debussy and French music in general), we would be meeting our future regular collaborators at these, the Olympics of music… At an age when everything seemed possible, imbued with this newfound autonomy, we found in Antoine a young viola maestro: today still, he remains an enlightened and generous collaborator, a true beacon for our quartet. And it was in Mozart’s Quintet K.516 that our friendship was sealed – that eternal reference work, a measuring stick, a meeting place, a place of pilgrimage. 

 

Speaking of meetings, I first became acquainted with Quatour Ébène back in 2011 when I purchased their recording of the Debussy, Ravel, and Fauré string quartets (also on Erato), an absolutely marvelous release both musically and sonically. If you are a fan of any of those quartets, that is a recording well worth adding to your collection. And way before 2011 – I really can’t remember when – I made my first acquaintance with the Mozart string quintets when one evening as I was going through the CD shelves at the sadly now long-gone Border’s where I would often stop on my way home from work not only just to unwind but also to see whether I could find any new exciting CDs, on a complete whim I suddenly decided to pick up a couple of RCA CDs featuring the Guarneri Quartet plus violists Ida Kafavian and Kim Kashkashian playing Mozart’s quintets for strings. Played them a few times, found I enjoyed K.516 the most, but then the discs sat on my shelf, only occasionally being played and then being traded in at some point. It’s a cruel world…

 

But back to the release at hand. All told, Mozart composed six string quintets: No. 1 in B flat major, K.174; No. 2 in C minor, K. 406/516b; No. 3 in C major, K. 515 No. 4 in G minor, K. 516; No. 5 in D major, K. 593; No. 6 in E-flat major, K. 614. The two chosen for inclusion in this release are arguably the pick of the litter. They are a complementary pair, K.515 in a major key and K.516 in a minor key. Of K.516, which for my money is one of the finest compositions that Mozart ever published, Merlin writes: “Though seemingly calm with its autumnal opening energy, this masterpiece soon takes hold with all its psychological violence, rocking us back and forth onstage between tears and sweat…” I certainly cannot comment on the work from the perspective of playing it onstage; however, from the perspective of an engaged listener to this recorded performance (and others, to be sure), what I can say is that it combines the flowing inevitability of Mozart at his finest with a feeling of intensity and involvement. The same can be said for the playing of the Quatour Ébène, which flows inevitably with a feeling of intensity and involvement.

 

Of the other half of the pair, Merlin has this to say: “Having delivered a message of such high drama to the world, it was arguably this same need for balance that led Mozart  to twin K.516 with a work of opposing and complementary nature, Light and Shade, Joy and Sorrow, Yin and Yang, Major and Minor; these pairings of works – tragicomic diptychs like his two final symphonies (the Great Symphony in G minor and the Jupiter Symphony in C major, same combination as above) or his Piano Concertos K. 466 and 467 (D minor and C major) – represent two sides two sides of the same coin.” As the program proceeds, the contrasts that Merlin mentions become apparent. There is a distinct shift in mood as K.516 shifts to a minor key. Still, both quintets exhibit that marvelous Mozartean flow of melody. The mood might shift, but the beauty and appeal of the music remains strong throughout all 71+ minutes of the program. 

Over the nearly dozen years that I have owned the Quatour Ébène recording of the Debussy, Fauré, and Ravel quartets, I’ve auditioned other Debussy/Ravel recordings, but the Ébène recording remains my reference and first recommendation. I’m not sure I’ll be around in another dozen years, but if so, I’d expect this Mozart release to remain on my recommended list. It’s clearly a keeper.