The Taneyev Quartet - Taneyev: Complete Quintets (2007)

Following Northern Flowers' release of Sergey Taneyev's complete string quartets recorded by the Taneyev Quartet in the late '70s, is this recording of his three quintets -- two for strings, one for piano and strings. The string quintets were recorded in 1980-1981, while the piano quintet was recorded in 1968. The sound in the earlier recording isn't as immediate, and the piano is definitely more distant than the strings, but the energy of the performance is just as high, especially in the gripping, glorious final moments of the piece. The overall sterile ambiance of the recordings adds a tangible quality to the intensity of the musicians' playing, which is part of what makes the Taneyev Quartet's (and its guests') performances so good. The group can't help but draw a listener's attention. Taneyev's music may be more formal than Dvorák and less melodically attractive than Brahms or Borodin, but the there is no less passion or invention in his music. Anyone who likes the chamber music of those composers won't be disappointed by these quintets and this disc.