Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Septet in E flat, Op. 20 (1799)
Franz Berwald (1796-1868)
Grand Septet in B flat (1828)
Wigmore Soloists
rec. 2022, St. John’s, Upper Norwood, UK
BIS BIS-2707 SACD [61]

This is my third review of Beethoven’s Septet for this site (Hyperion ~ cpo). I like the piece, not just for its prominent clarinet, horn, and bassoon colors, but because it mostly catches Beethoven in an uncharacteristically sunny mood. The development sections of both outer movements bring turbulent or unsettled moments, but these are just brief breaks in the pattern. Looking back at my older reviews, I see that I used some of the same adjectives that I jotted down for this: “perky,” “jaunty” (for the so-called Minuet in G), and “unbuttoned” (for the finale). If nothing else, I’m remarkably consistent.

From those pieces, I also see that the balance among the seven instruments can swing dramatically among performances. Sometimes, the principal violin, or the string quartet as a unit, takes the lead; elsewhere, the winds stand in sharper relief against the uniform string colour. Here, clarinetist Michael Collins, with his suave, shiny tone and expressive inflections, almost predictably dominates the entire affair. The other winds are less prominent, though the horn takes center stage in the Scherzo; the string players, while excellent, come off as tonally nondescript.

The Berwald Grand Septet isn’t entirely unknown: I still have a lovely Decca/London LP with the “Vienna Octet” – probably an ad hoc designation for Philharmonic players in chamber combinations – and its rich, vivid engineering has held up beautifully. It’s a fine piece, though, save for the fast scales rippling through the first movement, with few of the quirks that can suggest a Scandinavian Berlioz.

After a rigorous, proclamatory introduction, the Allegro molto is a comparatively relaxed cantabile. The central movement combines two functions: a chorale-ish, Mendelssohnian Poco adagio, brackets a quick, buoyant scherzando 6/8. The Finale is a surprisingly quick duple – almost too quick at the start. It gets even faster, which seems precipitate, but sets up the second group nicely.

As in the Beethoven, the Wigmore group plays handsomely, actually surpassing the Viennese in rhythmic alertness. Fine sound all around.

Stephen Francis Vasta
stevedisque.wordpress.com/blog

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