Pierné & Vierne CD

Reviews

‘It would be hard to imagine a more persuasive or compelling performance of Pierné’s Piano Quintet than this one from the all-Australian line-up of the Goldner Quartet and Piers Lane … the Allegro has litheness, warmth and a constantly engaging sense of musical argument that prompts the question: why isn’t this much more frequently played? … Vierne’s String Quartet is full of wonderfully effective writing. The inner movements are particularly impressive: a febrile Intermezzo (airily despatched here) and an austerely beautiful slow movement. With expert notes from Roger Nichols, this is a fascinating and eminently worthwhile addition to the catalogue’
Gramophone,UK

‘Piers Lane joins the fun for Pierné’s Piano Quintet. Dating from the latter years of World War One, it encapsulates much of the spirit of the Belle Époque, but also looks forward to the rhythmic drive of the 1920s. Echoes of Franck are apparent, especially in the final movements remembrances of earlier themes and methods of cranking up the tension. Resonances of contemporaries such as Debussy, Ravel, Dukas and Stravinsky can also be heard, notably in the central ‘Zortzico’, and with the advocacy of this finely nuanced performance, Pierné’s rhythmic and timbral invention shine through’
BBC Music Magazine, UK

‘Louis Vierne (1870-1937) is by no means obscure, but his contemporary Gabriel Pierné (1863-1937) is one of those composers who continues to occupy specialist territory. His substantial Piano Quintet … presents a fascinating synthesis of ripe late 19th-century romantic sensibility and the new ideas of texture and harmony emerging in the early years of the 20th century … in the Vierne Quartet of 1894, the Goldners pitch their playing perceptively, pointing to the influences of Franck and Mendelssohn. There is discipline in this music, but also a warmth of spirit that finds an outlet in the third movement, and which the Goldners interpret with stylish sensitivity—a characteristic, indeed, of the whole disc’
The Daily Telegraph, UK

‘The Goldner weigh every chord to perfection, and make the textures utterly transparent, while their partnership with Lane in the quintet is exemplary’
The Guardian, UK

Pierné and Vierne disc awarded the Diapason D’Or !
Partial Translation;
“This highly evocative and emotional reading [of Piernés Quintet] owes much to Piers Laneés range of nuances and his use of pedalling: His subtlety, his fortissimo which is never forceful, and most of all the interaction he establishes not only with the quartet as a group, but with each individual member, make for a perfect interpretation of the work.

In the same way, the Goldners know… how to preserve the sonority of each whilst creating a texture both symphonic and diaphanous. In spite of the virtuosic pianistic writing, the Australians demonstrate … the writing of Pierne as the musical cousin of Debussy more than … of Franck. Applied to Quartet op. 12 of Louis Vierne, the same soft light dissipates the post-Franck darkness to reveal the multiple details of harmony and thematic work. The writing finally makes the connection to Faure evident, which we rarely think to look for in Vierne. The beautiful subdued palate makes us hope that these five will continue the exploration with the sublime quintet of Vierne and the trio of Pierne.”
View full review here.