Schubert: Octet in F Major D 803–Wigmore Soloists/BIS
Another enterprising SACD release from BIS, the outstanding Swedish record company. This time, the Wigmore Soloists, a group formed last year by English clarinettist Michael Collins and Dutch violinist Isabelle van Keulen in collaboration with innovative John Gilhooly, director of London’s Wigmore Hall.
Wigmore Hall (built in 1899 by the Bechstein piano company and named Bechstein Hall—it was renamed Wigmore Hall in 1917) is to be commended for keeping its pandemic doors open for performers and streaming many solo recitals and chamber music concerts live on Facebook, YouTube, etc, and relayed on BBC Radio 3. As restrictions eased, we’d see more and more enthusiastic audience members, and finally, full houses. Then, Omicron! Damn!
During the dearth of live music over the past few years, these live concerts have been a balm, shown in HD with high quality sound. An absolute pleasure. And worth a donation, I would think.
Wigmore concerts happen almost nightly, not forgetting their Sunday morning Coffee Concerts at 11:00 a.m. As the late Victorian acoustical gem is just around the corner from Trinity College of Music, my alma mater, I attended many concerts courtesy of the free tickets Wigmore would supply the college. When I got to play there, I was surprised how warm and resonant the acoustics were. With all the plushness, I was expecting a dry concert hall and was ready to alter my playing to compensate. With its wonderful barrel ceiling, no such worries. It’s one of the loveliest halls I’ve had the pleasure to play in. And so nice to see some of the superb, regular Wigmore musicians continuing its legacy by adopting the name for their ensemble and recording in the building.
Photo credit: New York Times
The Wigmore Soloists on this recording are:
Isabelle van Keulen violin 1 (solo violinist)
Benjamin Gilmore violin 2 (Philharmonia Leader)
Timothy Ridout viola (solo violist and 2019 BBC New Generation Artist)
Kristina Blaumane cello (LPO Principal)
Tim Gibbs double bass (Philharmonia Principal)
Michael Collins clarinet (ex Philharmonia Principal, soloist, Prof. at RCM)
Robin O’Neill bassoon (Philharmonia Joint Principal)
Alberto Menéndez Escribano horn (BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Principal)
Not a shabby lineup.
Wigmore Soloists. Photo credit Wigmore Hall
Collins and van Keulen have recorded the Octet previously during a live performance in the same hall in 2007. The recording is available to stream and I used it in comparison to this new recording.
Both performances are beautifully played and balanced, but feature, like most recordings, the clarinet as leading voice. Schubert, in answer to an 1824 commission by clarinettist Ferdinand Troyer, spread the melodic love around, but he definitely wanted to keep the wealthy amateur clarinettist sweet.
Collins on clarinet plays exceptionally well on the new BIS recording, with superb range of perfectly controlled dynamics and a sweet tone—neither particularly German or British sounding; more US style. I’m all for that (be sure to listen out for Collins’ magnificent opening theme of the ‘Adagio', phrased to perfection). Another fine clarinettist, Alfred Boskovsky, leading the Vienna Octet (Decca), has a singular voice. The entire Vienna Phil group that makes up the octet sounds brilliant; it’s like we’re eavesdropping on a gig at Bognor’s coffee house (actually, the legendary 1958 Decca recording is from Sofiensaal). And the Decca original vinyl is one of my test records for transparency and timbral accuracy. The Red Book Qobuz/Roon playback of the Decca was good but I enjoyed the new 24/192 BIS recording more in the digital domain.
Comparison with a very good recording on Anelekta of Montreal Symphony principals was instructive. The Montrealers play very well, but both recorded quality and instrumental character can’t match the Wigmoreans and BIS engineering.
The Wigmore Soloists read as a who’s who of British orchestral elite. You know what that usually means—a mad rush across London in rain and hideous traffic from one session to the next, hanging by the skin of their collective teeth and technique when the red light goes on. None of that here. The performance is relaxed, beautiful, sunny, gorgeous. It seems very well rehearsed with all the subtleties quality time with each other allows.
The string quintet team is dynamite—taut with lovely vibrato. The colours they bring to the wonderful ‘Andante – variations. Un poco più mosso – Più lento’ are perfectly controlled and the dazzling work in the ‘Andante molto – Allegro – Andante molto – Allegro molto’ finale is wonderful. At times, I’d like to have heard more of Mr. Gibbs’ excellent contribution. As such, the bass is a little light. To hear the string bass’ unique timbre in this piece, get the Decca Vienna vinyl.
To finish, both horn and bassoon complete an almost perfect Schubertian picture. O’Neill’s bassoon playing is first class and continues the magnificent bassoon tradition of the Philharmonia Orchestra. And a special note about the horn, Alberto Menéndez. A superb artist, he left Manchester for Scotland, but I’m guessing he’ll end up in the big smoke at some time as a star principal. He’s that good. In the meantime, lucky Glasgow (check out this bit of horn wizardry he does on YouTube).
Unless you own an original, mint Vienna Decca LP, you can go ahead and buy this beautifully played and recorded CD. Even if you do own the vinyl, you’ll need a good one to stream. This is your guy.
Release Date: 29th Oct 2021
Catalogue No: BIS2597
Label: BIS
Length: 61 minutes
11th —13th December 2020 at Wigmore Hall, London, England
Producer: Rachel Smith
Sound engineer: Dave Rowell
Assistant engineer: James Waterhouse
Brüel & Kjær, Neumann and Sennheiser microphones; Merging Technologies Horus pre-amplifier and high-resolution A/D converter; Pyramix digital audio workstation; B&W and Dynaudio loudspeakers
Original format: 24-bit / 192 kH
