Ries: Piano Trio & Sextets

by Nash Ensemble

Overview

The name of composer Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838) is most often mentioned in connection with that of Beethoven; Ries associated himself with Beethoven and leaned into the role of being his disciple. His music emulates Beethoven's in its broad details without having any of its inner urgency; that would have to wait a few more decades. The chamber works here, dating from the 1810s and 1820s and performed cleanly by the Nash Ensemble, make as good a case as any for his oeuvre, and listeners interested in Beethoven's milieu will value it. The Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 143, has a bit of Beethoven's rough humor, even if it relies on the Beethoven short-short-short long motif when the going gets rough. The Introduction and a Russian Dance, Op. 113, No. 1, also shows close study of the Beethoven works that incorporate dance rhythms. The two sextets are a bit more diffuse, but the Sextet in G minor, Op. 142, is for the odd combination of harp, clarinet, bassoon, horn, double bass, and piano, and it's worth hearing just for that unique grouping. Hyperion's church sound is wrong for this chamber music, but Ries' music is not terribly often recorded, and this is a recording that will fill holes on many shelves or hard drives. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	07/01/2022
Label:	Hyperion
UPC:	0034571283807
Rank:	103813

Tracks

1. Grand Sextet in C major Op. 100 for piano, two violins, viola, cello and double bass~Allegro con brio
2. Grand Sextet in C major Op. 100 for piano, two violins, viola, cello and double bass~Andante
3. Grand Sextet in C major Op. 100 for piano, two violins, viola, cello and double bass~Adagio - Allegro
4. Introduction and a Russian dance Op. 113 No. 1 for cello and piano
5. Piano Trio in C minor Op. 143 for piano, violin and cello~Allegro con brio
6. Piano Trio in C minor Op. 143 for piano, violin and cello~Adagio con espressione -
7. Piano Trio in C minor Op. 143 for piano, violin and cello~Finale: Prestissimo
8. Sextet in G minor Op. 142 for piano and harp, with clarinet, bassoon, horn and double bass~Allegro ma non troppo
9. Sextet in G minor Op. 142 for piano and harp, with clarinet, bassoon, horn and double bass~Adagio con moto
10. Sextet in G minor Op. 142 for piano and harp, with clarinet, bassoon, horn and double bass~Rondo: Allegretto

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Nash Ensemble   Primary Artist,Ensemble
Ursula Leveaux   Bassoon
Graham Mitchell   Double Bass
Jonathan Stone   Violin
Benjamin Frith   Piano
Hugh Webb   Harp
Richard Watkins   Horn
Stephanie Gonley   Violin
Richard Hosford   Clarinet
Lawrence Power   Viola
Simon Crawford-Phillips   Piano
Adrian Brendel   Cello

Technical Credits

Carl Mayer   Engraving
Joseph Fort   Liner Notes
Branko Pajevic   Piano Technician
Merry-Joseph Blondel   Cover Illustration
Todd Harris   Booklet Editor
Oscar Torres   Engineer
Andrew Keener   Recording Producer
Ferdinand Ries   Composer
Simon Perry   Executive Producer
Marie-Stella Paris   Liner Note Translation
Friedrich Sprondel   Liner Note Translation