Charles-Marie Widor - Piano Trio; Piano Quintet (Ilona Prunyi; New Budapest Quartet)

Information

Composer: Charles-Marie Widor

• Piano Trio in B flat major, Op. 19
• Piano Quintet in D minor, Op. 7

Ilona Prunyi, piano

New Budapest Quartet

    András Kiss, violin

    Ferenc Balogh, violin

    László Bársony, viola

    Károly Botvay, cello

Date: 1989/2001

Label: Marco Polo / Naxos

https://www.naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=8.555416

-----------------------------------------------------------

Review

Yes, Charles-Marie Widor (1844–1937) did find some time in his long life to write other music besides the celebrated Toccata from the Fifth Organ Symphony that has graced many a wedding, and here are a Piano Trio and Piano Quintet (the latter dedicated to Gounod) to prove it. One couldn't go as far as to say that these works represent a great discovery; indeed, I may as well suggest that they don't, being for the most part not much more than fluent and agreeable, lacking a clear personality. They are worth hearing though, and the performances by Hungarian artists seem (I have not seen a score) to be perfectly serviceable if once again not much more than that: one looks for more Gallic charm.

Unfortunately the recording, although digital and dating from 1988, is not very good by today's standards, with sound that seems two-dimensional and some rather harsh tone especially from the piano in louder passages. But it does not stand in the way of the music, and certainly the issue is worth investigating if you are interested in this composer and this area of the French chamber music repertory. I fear that my review reads as rather luke-warm, and I cannot bring myself to greater enthusiasm, especially when the disc is at full price. But those who expect to be interested in the two works that are performed here should not be disappointed. Others, however, would be well advised to sample before purchasing.

-- Christopher Headington, Gramophone

More reviews:
ClassicsToday  ARTISTIC QUALITY: 9 / SOUND QUALITY: 8

https://www.classical-music.com/reviews/chamber/widor-0

https://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/Jan02/Widor_trio.htm

https://www.amazon.com/Widor-Piano-Trio-Quintet/dp/B00005RT4S

-----------------------------------------------------------

Charles-Marie Widor (21 February 1844 – 12 March 1937) was a French organist, composer and teacher of the late Romantic era. Widor was a prolific composer, writing music for organ, piano, voice and ensembles. Apart from his ten organ symphonies, he also wrote three symphonies for orchestra and organ, several songs for piano and voice, four operas and a ballet. As of 2022, he is the longest-serving organist of Saint-Sulpice in Paris, a role he held for 63 years. He also was organ professor at the Paris Conservatory from 1890 to 1896, and then he became professor of composition at the same institution.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles-Marie_Widor

***

Ilona Prunyi (born 1 May 1941 in Debrecen) is a Hungarian pianist, and music educator. She studied from 1958 to 1963 at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, then took a course with Yvonne Lefébure in Paris. Prunyi made her concert debut in 1974, and has since played with the Hungarian orchestras, chamber orchestras, played piano four hands, and also performed as a soloist. She received a prize at the Liszt Competition in Budapest in 1994, the Bartók Pásztory Prize in 2011, and the Hungarian Merited Artist Award in 2015. Prunyi also performs of lesser known composers, such as Stephen Heller and Ernő Dohnányi.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilona_Prunyi

-----------------------------------------------------------

FLAC, tracks

Links in comment

Enjoy!