Reynaldo Hahn; Louis Vierne - Piano Quintets (Stephen Coombs; Chilingirian Quartet)

Information

Composer: Reynaldo Hahn; Louis Vierne

• Hahn - Piano Quintet in F sharp minor
• Vierne - Piano Quintet in C minor, Op. 42

Stephen Coombs, piano

Chilingirian Quartet

    Levon Chilingirian, violin

    Charles Sewart, violin

    Asdis Valdimarsdottir, viola

    Philip de Groote, cello

Date: 2000

Label: Hyperion

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Review

Talk about the difference between night and day! Reynaldo Hahn’s Piano Quintet is all charm, wit, and elegance, with attractively memorable tunes and a deliciously “grazioso” finale. Louis Vierne’s, on the other hand, reflects the composer’s grief at the loss of his 17-year-old son Jacques, killed in action during World War I. The opening movement carries tormented chromaticism near the point of tonal breakdown, while the huge central Larghetto rises to a climax of gut-wrenching impact. An impressively trenchant and forceful (if not exactly cheerful) finale concludes a deeply expressive, imposing masterpiece whose comparative neglect is understandable, if unfortunate.

Stephen Coombs and the Chilingirian Quartet meet both works head on, tossing off Hahn’s jeu d’esprit with insouciance, and keeping Vierne’s heavy textures transparent as well as rhythmically purposeful. They also display a gratifyingly wide dynamic range, critical to the overwhelming emotional impact of the slow movement of the Vierne. Hyperion’s sonics maintain the high standards of the house, but the notes, which continually compare Vierne to Frank Bridge, smack of that obnoxious British provincialism that seeks ex post facto significance for British music by seeing the rest of the world as a mere reflection of it. Vierne’s work is not validated one way or another by any similarities to Bridge’s, whether intentional or coincidental. This sort of comparison obscures, rather than illuminates, the work of both composers and in the end serves neither.

— David Hurwitz

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Reynaldo Hahn (9 August 1874 – 28 January 1947) was a Venezuelan-born French composer best known for his elegant art songs. Moved to Paris as a child, he studied at the Conservatoire under Jules Massenet and later served as music critic for Le Figaro before becoming director of the Paris Opéra in 1945. Hahn composed operettas, ballets, incidental music and piano works, with Ciboulette (1923) among his most successful stage works. Inspired by literary figures such as Marcel Proust, he created music admired for its lyricism and refinement. His song Si mes vers avaient des ailes remains a concert favourite.

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Louis Vierne (8 October 1870 – 2 June 1937) was a renowned French organist and composer. Born with severe visual impairment, he overcame significant challenges to become one of the leading figures of the French organ tradition. Educated under influential musicians including César Franck and Charles-Marie Widor, Vierne developed a distinctive style characterized by rich harmonies and symphonic textures. His most celebrated works include six organ symphonies, numerous fantasy pieces, and sacred choral compositions. He died dramatically while performing at Notre-Dame, fulfilling his wish to die at the organ console.

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Stephen Coombs (born 11 July 1960 in Birkenhead) is a British pianist. He achieved early success, gaining 2nd place at the National Piano Concerto Competition at age 13 and a Gold Medal at the International Liszt Piano Competition in Sopron, Hungary when he was 16. Coombs studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, then at the Royal Academy of Music with Gordon Green. He began recording for Hyperion in 1989. His recordings include the complete solo piano music of Glazunov and other discs of Russian solo piano repertoire (Scriabin, Arensky, Liadov, Bortkiewicz), as well as for Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto series.

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The Chilingirian Quartet was founded in 1971 by Levon Chilingirian and Philip De Groote. Renowned for its interpretations of classical and contemporary repertoire, the ensemble has received the Royal Philharmonic Society Chamber Ensemble Award. The quartet serves as Quartet-in-Residence at the Royal College of Music and has appeared at major international festivals and venues, including Wigmore Hall and the Concertgebouw. The group maintains a close association with the music of Michael Tippett. Their extensive recordings feature works by Bartók, Dvořák, Mozart and Chausson, among others.

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