Gerard Schurmann: Chamber Music, Volume Three
This is the third Toccata Classics album of the chamber music of Gerard Schurmann, born in the former Dutch East Indies in 1924, British citizen through wartime service in the RAF and now resident in Los Angeles. His two piano quartets, downstream from Bartók, Shostakovich and Britten, present a wide range of moods, from broad and stately tempos to passages of driving energy and excitement. Their quasi-symphonic ambit is contrasted with the tart miniatures of the Serenade for solo violin and the tail-chasing vivacity of Two Violins.
Lyris Quartet
Alyssa Park, violin Tracks 1–3, 13–21
Shalini Vijayan, violin Tracks 16–21
Luke Maurer, viola Tracks 1-3, 13-15
Timothy Loo, cello Tracks 1-3, 13-15
Martin Beaver, violin Tracks 4-12
Mikhail Korzhev, piano Tracks 1-3, 13-15
Listen To This Recording:
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Piano Quartet No. 1 (1986)
- Piano Quartet No. 1, I Ricercare
- Piano Quartet No. 1, II Capriccio
- Piano Quartet No. 1, III Corale
- Serenade for Solo Violin, I Ardente
- Serenade for Solo Violin, II Grazioso
- Serenade for Solo Violin, III Con slancio
- Serenade for Solo Violin, IV Pastorale
- Serenade for Solo Violin, V Burla
- Serenade for Solo Violin, VI Presto
- Serenade for Solo Violin, VII Vivace
- Serenade for Solo Violin, VIII Tranquillo
- Serenade for Solo Violin, IX Pesante – Ardente
- Piano Quartet No. 2, I Allegro moderato
- Piano Quartet No. 2, II Scorrevole – Adagio cantabile
- Piano Quartet No. 2, III Allegro molto
- Two Violins, I Parading
- Two Violins, II Dreaming
- Two Violins, III Playing
- Two Violins, IV Teasing
- Two Violins, V Roaming
- Two Violins, VI Chasing
Serenade for Solo Violin (1969)*
Piano Quartet No. 2 (1997-98)
Two Violins (2015)*
*First Recordings
MusicWeb International :
‘…this is the friendly and approachable face of twentieth century music but also that Schurmann has his own voice that draws you in and also makes you think. […]
I would imagine that the composer must have been delighted with the final cut of these performances. There is some very fine playing here and the energy and vitality of the music is captured to its full where necessary but when needed the reflective nature of the music is thoughtfully conveyed.’
—Gary Higginson, MusicWeb International
Gramophone :
‘As with earlier discs in this series, the performances are as attentive to this music’s exacting technical demands as to its expressive subtleties. With excellent sound and detailed booklet notes, this is a worthwhile addition to the discography of a composer now in his 94th year.’
—Richard Wigmore, Gramophone
Klassisk Musikk :
‘ Strykere dominerer også dette tredje albumet, med to klaverkvartetter (1986, 1997-8), Serenade for solo fiolin (1969) og det nyere Two Violins (2015), en herlig, men utfordrende suite med musikalske vignetter for, nettopp, to fioliner uten akkompagnement. […]Suiten får en fremragende fremførelse av musikerne den er tilegnet, Alysa Park og Shalini Vijayan fra Lyris String Quartet. […]
Martin Beaver avslutter platen med en nyansert tolkning av Schurmanns kaleidoskopiske Serenade for solo fiolin (1969); ni miniatyrsatser. Om den magre teksturen i den enkelte linjen kan gjøre dette til et mer utfordrende verk, er den kvalitetsmessige (og fruktbare) oppfinnsomheten utrolig attraktiv og tilfredsstillende. Alle fire fremføringene er kammermusisering på høyeste nivå. Veldig bra lyd også.’
English translation:
‘ Strings also dominate this third album, with two piano quartets (1986, 1997-8), Serenade for solo violin (1969) and the more recent Two Violins (2015), a delightful but challenging suite of musical vignettes for, precisely, two unaccompanied violins. […]The suite is given an outstanding performance by the musicians to whom it is dedicated, Alysa Park and Shalini Vijayan of the Lyris String Quartet. […]
Martin Beaver closes the album with a nuanced interpretation of Schurmann’s kaleidoscopic Serenade for solo violin (1969); nine miniature movements. If the meager texture of the individual lines might make this a more challenging work, the quality (and fruitful) inventiveness is incredibly attractive and satisfying. All four performances are chamber music at the highest level. Very good sound, too.’
—Guy Rickards, Klassisk Musikk