Frank Martin - Piano Quintet; String Quartet; Pavane couleur du temps (Quatuor Terpsycordes)

Information

Composer: Frank Martin

• Piano Quintet
• String Quartet
• Pavane couleur du temps, for string quintet

Quatuor Terpsycordes

    Girolamo Bottiglieri, violin

    Raya Raytcheva, violin

    Caroline Cohen-Adad, viola

    Florestan Darbellay, cello

Fabrizio Chiovetta, piano

François Grin, cello

Date: 2024

Label: Claves

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Review

Hopefully this new recording of chamber music works by Swiss composer Frank Martin (1890-1974) should prove once and for all that this uniquely nonconformist 20th century composer has always been unfairly overlooked. Apart from a handful of recordings focused on his music, most of his output is presented piecemeal alongside other composers music. Oddly enough for a modern composer, he had a proclivity for writing vocal and choral works, his Mass for Double Choir for example is something anyone interested in choral music should acquire. He composed various concertos and orchestral works as well as much chamber music. He wasn't as prolific as many of his contemporaries, but the old adage 'quality over quantity' well applies to his music.

Sidestepping formal stringency, his music speaks straight from the heart, a quality highly apparent within his early Piano Quintet, which is played as such with much conviction by the Quatuor Terpsycordes and pianist Fabrizio Chiovetta. Contrary to most quintets, the piano doesn't play a leading role here but rather underpins the darkly emotive character of the music, a setting that proves very effective. And the String Quartet, written 50 years later and despite its more incisive and angular harmonic tone, still speaks with the same personal spirit. Strangely enough, the first few notes of its Larghetto movement almost sound like a present day version of Bach's Air on the G String, paired down to its fundamental essence.

Although Frank Martin's music detached itself from post-romanticism, it never became as self-absorbed or acerbic like most of his counterparts. He remained true to the expressive aspects of music all his life, and the three pieces on this CD are perfect examples of this. If you've never heard this composer's work before, this recording could very well be a great introduction.

— Jean-Yves Duperron

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Frank Martin (15 September 1890 – 21 November 1974) was a Swiss composer. Born in Geneva, he studied under Joseph Lauber and Émile Jaques-Dalcroze. He served as president of the Swiss Musicians' Union (1943–1946) before moving to the Netherlands. A performer as well as a composer, Martin toured widely as a pianist and harpsichordist. His compositions blended German influences, especially Bach, with French harmonic innovations. Notable works include the oratorios Le Vin herbé and Golgotha, the opera Der Sturm, and a Requiem, along with numerous concertos, orchestral and chamber works.

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The Quatuor Terpsycordes was founded in Geneva in 1997. Influenced by renowned mentors, such as Gábor Takács-Nagy and members of the Amadeus, Budapest, Hagen, Lasalle and Mosaïques quartets, the Terpsycordes gained recognition early, winning major international competitions in Geneva, Weimar, Graz and Trapani. Their repertoire spans from pre-classical period to contemporary works, including a recent focus on Joseph Haydn and Frank Martin. Beyond performance, they engage in social, educational and innovative outreach projects, aiming to introduce chamber music to diverse audiences.

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