Chamber Music

Spectrum Concerts Berlin

Anton Arensky belonged to the generation between Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov, his early flair leading Tolstoy to state that, “among the new composers he is the best, he is simple and melodious”.

Lacking a Russian tradition for the genre, Arensky’s Piano Quintet draws on Brahms and Mendelssohn for its sweeping themes and sparkling wit. The Second String Quartet was written in memory of Tchaikovsky and is a tender, elegiac work unusual in its scoring with two cellos. Dedicated to his cellist friend Karl Davidoff, the First Piano Trio is also a wonderfully heartfelt and virtuosic masterpiece.

Spectrum Concerts Berlin was founded by the American cellist Frank Dodge in 1988 and has become one of Germany’s most significant voices in the world of chamber music. Reviewers have showered praise for years, both in reviews of their live performances at the Philharmonie’s Kammermusiksaal, and of their recordings.

Arensky:
 Piano Quintet in D Major, Op. 51
 Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 32
 String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 35

"The Quartet's rich resonance recalls that of a Russian Orthodox choir...I was also struck at the work's opening by the viol-like sound conjured by the Spectrum Concerts Berlin players, enhancing Arensky's already inventive scoring in which the first cello at that point is the highest sounding instrument. The Piano Quintet receives at least as agood a performance, capturing its slow movement's soulful quality and the scherzo's carefree playfulness."
BBC Music Magazine - January 2016 ****