BRAHMS. Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34. Andre Previn (pno); Musikverein Quartet (Rainer KUchl, Eckhard Seifert, vins; Peter Götzel, via; Franz Bartolomey, vie). Philips digital © 412 608-1 PH; i 412 608-4PH, (1) 412 608-2PH (to be reviewed later).

Selected comparisons:

Richter, Borodin Qt (7/77) (R) SAGA5448

Pollini, Quartetto Italian° (9/80) 2531 197

When this record arrived my first reaction was to wonder if Previn carried the guns to compete with such distinguished soloists as Pollini and Richter, even though 1 knew, of course, that he is an excellent pianist in more than one field. The answer, in brief, is that Pollini and Richter both carry too heavy guns to be first-rate chambermusic players whereas, though you might not choose Previn as your soloist in say, a Brahms piano concerto, he is a first-rate player in chamber music; and Philips's recording team have done a very good job in getting a proper balance between him and the string quartet. The weakness of the DG recording of Pollini is that the quartet, and not least the important viola, is far too much in the background (though Pollini's playing, masterly in itself, probably did not help the balance). The Saga recording of Richter does slightly better in the way of balance, though it is by now scarcely demonstration sound and if you do not know the work, you will need a score to know what precisely the strings are doing in both Pollini and the Richter versions.

Richter's playing is as fine as you might expect, though he takes a more wayward view of the work than Pollini does. His opening forte is surely too swift and excited and has to be modified later on; but what I find least acceptable is his slow speed for the second movement. This is a typical Brahms melody, Brahms in his 'lullaby' mood, examples of which can be found in several of the late piano pieces, but here it rocks too slowly for the good of the music. Both Pollini and Previn get it just right and the quiet lyricism is a special delight from Pollini. If Pollini's record entrances me, I have to say that it is for its piano playing alone, for the quartet adds so very little.

But as a recording of chamber music this new Philips record wins easily. Nor is there any lack of perceptive touches from Previn either. At theforte entry at bar 85 of the first movement, to mention only a small point, he adjusts his power to fit in with the increasing crescendo of the strings, whereas both the other soloists crash in as if they were playing an important entry in a concerto (the strings only reach their forte in the following bar). 1 only wish all the players had broadened their tempo where Bra hms marks it, four bars from the end, for his sostenuto always implies a broader tempo. However, that is a small point and the broadening in just the last two bars does well enough.

Previn's tempo for the next movement is just right, just the speed to give it the lilt it needs, though as piano solo playing the movement is a little prosaic compared with Pollini; but that, I repeat, is not what is wanted primarily in chamber music. Previn brings off the Scherzo brilliantly and is completely in command of the more difficult passages, as he is also in the finale (which begins with a very good introduction).

I might add that Previn has already recorded this work with the Yale Quartet (HMV ASD2873, 5/73—nla). The quality was good but now sounds harder and more forward. This new performance, in short, is better recorded, T.H.