1972 LP text:
The Piano Quintet in G Minor was composed by Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev in 1910–1911 and was first performed in October 1911 at the fourth closed executive meeting of the Moscow Society for the Promotion of Chamber Music, with the composer himself playing the piano part. Taneyev performed the quintet multiple times with the famous Czech Quartet in cities such as Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Leipzig, and others. Upon returning to Russia, Taneyev again performed his piano quintet in Moscow (with the Czech Quartet) at the third chamber evening of the Russian Musical Society in January 1912. The performance was exceptionally successful, with the press noting, "the audience gave a warm, unanimous ovation," and the composer was presented with a laurel wreath.
The quintet's conception and thematic content are typical for the composer: overcoming dramatic, tense, and gloomy moods to affirm a bright, joyful, and life-affirming essence. The drama of the quintet is built on this conflict and its resolution, presented as a four-movement cycle.
First Movement: Adagio mesto. Allegro patetico. The slow introduction to this movement, the "Introduction," is of a troubled character. This theme, in a faster tempo, sounds agitated and restless in the main section of the first movement, Allegro (main theme). In its development, it frequently transitions from one tonality to another, creating an unstable, turbulent mood. The second, secondary theme provides a striking contrast. Its lyrical and bright melody is very simple yet extraordinarily expressive, beautiful, and plastic.
Second Movement: Presto. The music of this movement is striking in its swiftness and energy. Critic Julius Engel aptly described this part: "...what beauty of sound in the scherzo! The piano gives a ringing, almost trumpet-like signal, and from it, light, ever-changing chords of the strings scatter. All the strings play with a special, airy, almost ricochet bowing, making the scherzo continuously tremble and disperse like fine glass beads."
Third Movement: Largo. This movement embodies a sublime image, full of stern pathos. The beginning of the movement is majestic, with the theme performed simultaneously by the strings and piano. Almost all further development occurs over a sustained melodic figure in the bass (sometimes appearing in the upper voices). This technique (basso ostinato) gives the music a special integrity, concentration, and strict character. The gradual crescendo leads to a bright, emotionally expressive climax, reaching excitement and pathos in the expression of lyrical feeling.
Fourth Movement: Finale (Allegro vivace. Moderato maestoso). Dramatic moods continue to develop in this movement, filled with passion, strength, and energy. At the most intense moment, a transformation occurs: the theme from the first movement reappears in a transfigured form, sounding solemn and pathos-filled. The conclusion of the piece is an apotheosis of happiness and affirmation of life.
"Rosa Tamarkina's performance harmoniously combined the naturalness and simplicity of conception, impeccable technical precision, flawless taste, and that quality possessed by particularly gifted individuals: the ability to equally irresistibly affect both the broad audience and the highly qualified listener," wrote A.B. Goldenweiser.
Rosa Tamarkina (1920–1950) was born in Kiev to a working-class family. She began studying music at the age of eight. From 1932, she attended the Central Music School, and from 1935, she studied at the Moscow Conservatory under Professor A.B. Goldenweiser.
In 1937, the sixteen-year-old pianist participated in the third International Chopin Competition and was awarded second prize. With surprising mastery for her age, depth of thought, and technical and artistic freedom, Tamarkina performed Chopin's Fantasy, First Scherzo, polonaises, and nocturnes. The Polish press and audiences warmly received the Soviet pianist's performance.
In 1940, Tamarkina graduated brilliantly from the conservatory. Her name was inscribed on the Honor Board. After completing her postgraduate studies under Professor K.N. Igumnov, Tamarkina was invited to teach at the Moscow Conservatory in 1946.
The pianist's concert performances in the Grand and Small Halls of the conservatory, on the radio, and in many cities of the Soviet Union brought her wide recognition.
On December 11, 1931, the Beethoven Hall of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow hosted the first concert of the Quartet of Soloists of the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra. This concert marked the beginning of the creative journey of one of the best Soviet chamber ensembles, which later gained wide recognition as the Bolshoi Theatre Quartet. The ensemble's members were the distinguished artists of the RSFSR Isaak Zhuk, Boris Veltman, Maurice Gurvich, and Isaak Buravsky.
The concert activity of the quartet became a significant milestone in the development of Soviet quartet art. This outstanding ensemble made a valuable contribution to the performance of classical and Soviet chamber music.
Important dates in the quartet's creative biography include: 1936 – Award at the competition for the best performance of works by Soviet composers; 1938 – First prize at the All-Union Competition of String Quartets.
A characteristic feature of the Bolshoi Theatre Quartet's activity is that all its members did not leave their responsible positions as concertmasters of the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, and from 1952 (I. Zhuk and M. Gurvich) of the State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR. The combination of these different types of musical creativity, mutually enriching each other, was exceptionally favorable to the ensemble's creative life.
The Bolshoi Theatre Quartet's performance is distinguished by its high culture of execution, technical impeccability, and fine artistic polish. Notably, their interpretation of Schubert's D minor quartet, the quartets of Schumann, Tchaikovsky, and especially the chamber works of Taneyev, stands out.
