Prelude: Lento; Poco piu mosso
Fugue: Adagio (4:38)
Scherzo: Allegretto (14:01)
Intermezzo: Lento (17:27)
Finale: Allegretto (24:30)
VERMEER QUARTET
Shmuel Ashkenasi, 1st violin
Mathias Tacke, 2nd violin
Richard Young, viola
Marc Johnson, cello
Boris Berman, piano
July 12, 1997
Norfolk Festival
The Vermeer and Boris Berman recorded this compelling work in 2000 for Naxos [DDD 8.554832]. Paired with the Schnittke piano quintet, the CD was nominated for a Grammy. But the “live” performance offered here is even more stirring, despite a few minor blemishes that digital editing routinely fixes. That’s probably because the Norfolk Festival’s summer audience included many of the Vermeer’s students whose passion brought special urgency to every phrase. The lonely pathos of the Fugue and the Intermezzo felt even more personal that evening. And the occasional thunder and lightning flashes in the distance seemed to foreshadow the thunderous outbursts in the Scherzo and the Finale.
