Tribute

Has the art of quartet playing been revived through a modern tribute from Eminence Brass? Hopefully so...

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Eminence Brass
Featuring: Richard Marshall, Philip Cobb, Owen Farr, David Childs
Doyen Recordings: CD257
Total Playing Time: 63.28

The art of quartet playing is not dead then: And it is an art.

This long overdue and very welcome release owes much to the anniversary of the death of Gilbert Vinter – the man who not only revolutionised the medium for full brass band ensembles, but sent a shudder of musical electricity through the quartet repertoire too.

Finely wrought

As tributes go it is a finely wrought testimonial - a panegyric in brass, played with wonderful understanding and fluency by four of the outstanding young players of the modern generation – all of whom were born well after the great man’s death.

Without Vinter’s masterful, but tragically small output for quartet, it is debatable whether or not the likes of Edward Gregson, John Golland, Roger Payne and even Joseph Horovitz would have considered writing works too – especially ones with such obvious enjoyable relish of the challenge.

Understanding is all

There is not only an artistic skill in playing high quality quartets, but also in writing for them. Understanding is all.

For each it is all about balance, texture, subtlety and style, an appreciation of others strengths and weaknesses, the ability to become the glorious sum of four very individual parts. When it works it becomes the perfect musical miniature – when it doesn’t, it can sound a tangled mess.

Here we get four highly intelligent individual musical performers playing as one – and the result is a joy.

Appreciation

Each of the eight compositions is delivered with understanding and appreciation. Expression is collective, technique tempered to enhance the demands of the music rather than to meet the almost limitless potential of the performers.

As a result we can sit back and enjoy the Vinter trio of ‘Elegy and Rondo’, ‘Fancy’s Knell’ and ‘Alla Burlesca’ in a manner that the composer intended.  This is an appreciation of the musical matter rather than a youthful re-invention.

Revealed

What is revealed are three pieces of wit and intellect, full of nuance and delicacy, drama and pathos. Each are totally different in character and musical thought – miniature gems of perfect construction.

They are also pieces that take some playing. The GUS quartet of David Read, John Berryman, John Cobley and Trevor Groom must have been some foursome, as Vinter really does ask a great deal in terms of musicianship and technique.  Eminence Brass are of course some foursome too, and produce a series of performances rich in both characteristics too. 

Inventiveness

Edward Gregson’s ‘First Quartet for Brass’ written in 1968, almost seamlessly carries on the Vinter banner of inventiveness. Listening closely reveals embryonic motifs and ideas of greater things to come in a work of power and persuasion.

So too John Golland’s ‘Bagatelles’ – a real old trifle of enjoyable layers of musicality. Here also are oblique references to works to come – notably ‘Sounds’, all skilfully created with dark intent.

Delight

The Horovitz, ‘Paganini’ is a delight – a typically light and frothy piece of ingenuity that is perhaps the closest in style to something that would be performed by a string quartet. Busy and witty and beautifully constructed, it radiates craftsmanship of the very highest class.

Sparke’s ‘Divertimento’ is the youngest work performed; a cleverly constructed composition that unashamedly uses kernels of his other works (and perhaps even a little hint of Vinter too). As you would expect of Sparke, it is brilliantly constructed, full of inventiveness and lyricism in equal measure.

Not quite

Finally, ‘Capriccio’ by Roger Payne, which of all the compositions on show is the one that doesn’t quite come off. Perhaps it is the tempos chosen, as at times the ensemble does lose focus and it seems to lose that essential capricious feeling.

Hopefully this excellent recording (the post production process is very good, with enjoyable sleeve notes, graphics and the sound engineering that expertly retains a sense of compactness throughout) will herald a renaissance in quartet playing in the UK.

When you hear playing like this, it is clearly an art form whose time has come again.  

Iwan Fox 

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