musica Dei donum
CD reviews
François Devienne: 3 Quartets for bassoon and string trio, op. 73
island
rec: August 1999, Delft (Neth), Oudkatholieke Parochie
Centaur - CRC 2524 (61'46")
Quartet in C, op. 73,1; Quartet in F, op. 73,2; Quartet in g minor, op. 73,3
Jane Gower (bassoon), Rachael Beesley (violin), Galina Zinchenko (viola),
Catherine Jones (cello)
François Devienne (1759 - 1803) was a celebrity in his days, and famous for his
playing of the flute and the bassoon. He seems to have liked working day and
night, and that could well have led to his death in a mental hospital at the
age of only 44. His obituary stated that "his quartets are played everywhere".
That has changed since then, because in modern times very few works by Devienne
are played and concerts and recordings with his works are relatively rare. On
the basis of these quartets for bassoon, violin, viola and cello, that must be
considered a pity. This music is great to listen to and full of beautiful
melodies. In particular the first movements, which are always the longest, are
used by Devienne to show what the bassoon is capable of. The full range of the
instrument is used, and there is ample opportunity for the bassoonist to show
his or her virtuosity. The slow movements are quite expressive, not only in the
part of the bassoon, but also in that of the first violin. The last movements
are often quite humorous. Devienne certainly knew how to end a piece: the last
bars not only ask for virtuosity from all the players, they contain some
surprises as well. For example, the last movement of the second quartet
contains a set of variations. At the end, all of a sudden the theme is thrown
out of the window to allow the players to show off.
So why is Devienne almost completely neglected these days? Jane Gower gives a
good explanation: if this music is played on a modern bassoon, it isn't much
more than 'nice'. But Devienne, being an accomplished bassoonist himself, knew
all the possibilities and characteristics of the bassoon of his days inside out
and made use of them. "The bassoon for which Devienne composed was a five or
six-keyed instrument which hardly resembles in tone or technique the intricate
machinery that is today's Heckel bassoon. Each chromatic note (...) has to be
fingered by means of complicated cross-fingering patterns, each having its own
specific tone-colour and attack." These quartets as well as the performance by
this ensemble make the advantages of the use of period instruments abundantly
clear.
I have nothing but praise for this recording. It is an 'island of pure delight',
so to speak. The phrasing and articulation are immaculate. The players use the
first edition of 1798, the year in which Devienne composed these quartets. This
edition contains many expressive markings, many of which are altered or missing
in modern editions. The players are following them as "faithfully as possible",
which leads to a most fascinating and expressive interpretation. No wonder: the
composer always knows best.
I strongly recommend this recording.
Johan van Veen (© 2002)