elements:--(1) The composer's affection for his friend and grief at his
loss; (2) biographical reminiscences and reflections thereon; (3) the
funeral panegyric. To some extent these elements are intermingled
throughout the work; but they dominate the respective movements as here
numbered, so that, broadly speaking, one may call the first movement
"lament," the second "recollections," the third "eulogy." In all
important respects the Trio strikes us as thoroughly original, though in
a few superficial matters the composer seems to take hints from certain
predecessors. Probably the "Wanderer Fantasie" influenced the general
design to some extent; the opening of the Finale suggests the
corresponding part of Schumann's "Etudes Symphoniques" by its rhythm and
atmosphere, and the short "funeral march" section at the end contains an
obvious reference to Chopin. One can scarcely hear a better rendering
than Mr. Siloti's of the pianoforte part, which is throughout of
paramount importance. Like Dr. Brodsky, Mr. Siloti was an intimate
friend of the composer, and as he is also an acknowledged master of
pianoforte technique and a highly accomplished musician, his Tchaïkovsky
interpretations have a certain authority. Moreover, no living
instrumentalist can charm a melody into life in a more suave and natural
manner, and the lines of a composition always fall into their proper
place in his renderings. Dr. Brodsky, always at his best in the music of
his famous compatriot and friend, gave a most eloquent rendering of the
violin part, and he was well matched by Mr. Fuchs, who, as before,
brought out the superb opening theme with amazing warmth and breadth of
style, and gave all the rest of his part in a manner worthy of that fine
entry.
[Sidenote: =César Franck
Quintet in F Minor.=
_December 12, 1903._]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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