Sergey Taneyev
was a student of
Tchaikovsky
and a teacher of
Rachmaninov
, among others, but his own music does not often resemble that of either of those composers. It has a strong Classical streak that, it could be argued, inspired
's clear forms even as
's music developed in a very different direction. The
String Trio in E flat major, Op. 31
, is an excellent example. It is actually later than the other work on the album, the
Piano Quartet in E major, Op. 20
, but its general sound comes from
Beethoven
and
Schubert
. It is not derivative, however. It goes down harmonic byways that those composers would not have explored. The work was originally written for violin, viola, and the now-disused tenor viola. It would be nice to have a recording for the original forces (the technology certainly exists), but this reading by members of the
Spectrum Concerts Berlin
collective, all veteran chamber players, is entirely satisfactory. The
Piano Quartet
is different; it may be
Taneyev
's closest approach to a post-Tchaikovskian style, with a splendidly expressive slow movement. The performances throughout are perfectly controlled, and
Naxos
delivers unusually clear sound from a Haus des Rundfunks studio in Berlin. This is a strong entry in the growing catalog of recordings devoted to this underrated Russian composer. ~ James Manheim