Bax/Bridge Piano Quintets

Recognised as rising stars of their generation, pianist Ashley Wass and the Tippett Quartet join forces to present two contrasting yet equally engaging British piano quintets. Conceived on a grand, expansive scale and influenced by Celtic music, with all manner of harmonic and instrumental colours exploited to super effect, Arnold Bax’s Quintet is arguably a precursor of his later symphonies. Frank Bridge’s early work (1904–5, revised 1912) combines his admiration for the music of Fauré with the highly integrated ‘fantasy’ techniques he honed when composing music for the famous Cobbett Prize.

Review

The Performance Confounding the popular view of him as a fey pastoralist, Bax's Piano Quintet is wonderfully off-the-leash and extreme;

Wass and the Tippett Quartet keep the tempestuous, jaggedly chromatic melody lines of the first movement dangling on a precepice: and what to make of the pecussive pizzicato thwacks that open the second movement?  The Tippett's choose not to compromise their physical impact, nor Bax's obsessive-compulsive, hard-driven finale.  The Bridge is more of a wallow; great if you like that kind of thing, especially given Ashley Wass and the Tippett's regal, red-blooded tone.

The Verdict I can't imagine the Bax receiving a more passionate, devoted performance and this disc has made me rethink my view of his music.  An equally impressive account of the Bridge; not as consciously 'pretty' as Piers Lane's Hyperion performance.

Classic FM, Phillip Clark – 1 January 2011