This album is included in the following sets:
This set contains the following albums:
- Producer's Note
- Full Track Listing
- Cover Art
- Historic Reviews
W. H. Squire's brilliant chamber music brought back to life by Mark Obert-Thorn
"A splendid virtuoso and also one of the wisest and most broadminded of men" - Hamilton Harty
During a recording career that stretched from the late 1890s to the
early 1930s, British cellist William Henry Squire (1871-1963) set down
many sides of short encore pieces and two cello concertos (the latter
featured on Pristine’s earlier release devoted to Squire, PASC 393).
Although he, along with violinist Arthur Catterall and pianist William
Murdoch, made a series of acoustic recordings of movements from chamber
works usually abridged to a single side, Squire only participated in
three complete chamber music recordings: Beethoven’s “Archduke” Trio
(on Pristine PACM 073), and the two A minor trios presented here.
It
is remarkable that at a time during the acoustic recording era when few
chamber works were available complete on disc, Columbia would have
chosen to record Brahms’ less well-known Clarinet Trio. The clarinetist
is Haydn Paul Draper, nephew and pupil of the more well-known Charles
Draper (who also recorded chamber music for Columbia around the same
time). Hamilton Harty (not yet “Sir” – his knighthood would come the
following year) is the pianist, as he was on many of Squire’s solo discs
in the acoustic era. Brahms had declared his composing days at an end
with his G major String Quintet in 1890; but hearing clarinetist Richard
Mühlfeld inspired him to write this trio the following year, along with
his Op. 115 Clarinet Quintet.
Tchaikovsky was initially
reluctant to write a traditional piano trio, feeling that the sound of
the piano did not mesh well with the violin and cello. However, the
death of his close friend, the pianist/composer/conductor Nikolai
Rubinstein in 1881 prompted his Op. 50, his only work with this
combination of instruments. Squire here is joined by British violinist
Arthur Catterall and Australian pianist William Murdoch, frequent
chamber partners of his both in concert and on disc. The recording is
not quite complete; the Finale section of the second movement was cut to
about half its length, probably to avoid going to an additional odd
side. Based on the ample reverberation to be heard, the session may
have been held in Wigmore Hall, as was the Beethoven “Archduke” with
Sammons, Squire and Murdoch from a few days earlier. However, the
original engineering here seems to be more distant and recorded at a
lower level.
Concluding our program are four cello encores of the
type for which Squire was most famous on disc. Squire’s frequent
collaborator as conductor and accompanist, Harty, is heard here as a
composer. French organist and composer Jean Huré (1877-1930) wrote his
“Air” to be accompanied by either piano or organ, and Squire recorded it
both ways, the first acoustically and the second, heard here,
electrically.
The sources for the transfers were mainly American
Columbia discs – a “New Process” set for the Brahms, and “Viva-Tonal”
pressings for the Tchaikovsky, Harty and Huré works. The Dvǒrák and
Dunkler pieces came from an Australian Columbia disc.
Mark Obert-Thorn
-
BRAHMS Clarinet Trio in A minor, Op. 114 (acoustic recording)
H. P. Draper (clarinet) ∙ Hamilton Harty (piano)Recorded 21 October 1924 in London
Matrix nos.: AX 692-1, 693-2, 694-1, 695-1, 696-1 & 697-1
First issued on Columbia L 1609/11 -
TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Trio in A Minor, Op 50, “To the Memory of a Great Artist”
Arthur Catterall (violin) ∙ William Murdoch (piano)Recorded 23 December 1926 in London
Matrix nos.: WRAX 2311-2, 2312-2, 2313-1, 2314-2, 2315-2, 2316-2, 2317-1, 2318-1, 2319-1, 2320-2, 2321-3, 2322-1
First issued on Columbia L 1942/7 -
DVǑRÁK (arr. Grünfeld) Songs my mother taught me, Op. 54, No. 4 (from Gypsy Songs)
With piano accompaniment
Recorded March, 1928 in London
Matrix no.: WA 7085. First issued on Columbia D 1620 -
HARTY Scherzo, Op. 8
With piano accompaniment
Recorded 13 April 1927 in London
Matrix no.: WAX 2571-2. First issued on Columbia L 2115 -
HURÉ Air
George Thomas Pattman (organ)Recorded 3 October 1928 in the St. John’s Wood Synagogue
Matrix no.: WAX 4128-1. Issued on American Columbia 50214-D -
DUNKLER La fileuse (The spinning wheel), Op. 15
With piano accompaniment
Recorded March, 1928 in London
Matrix no.: WA 7088
Issued on Australian Columbia 03611
W. H. Squire, cello
Brahms Clarinet Trio
Among Brahms’ last and most mature works
are four in which the clarinet is used, with remarkable facility, and
with a perfect perception of its powers. His employment of the
instrument in this late chamber music was largely influenced by' hearing
a very fine clarinet player, Mühlfeld. The work is recorded uncut.
First Movement.
Allegro
(quick).—Very characteristic of Brahms are both the leading themes used
in this movement. Their arpeggio nature is a favourite device of the
composer, and the first conforms even more closely to one of his habits
of mind in building tunes, by commencing with the four notes of the
key-chord. In order to keep the tonal balance, the ’cello frequently
plays in its high register, the piano filling up the middle of the
compass. The second main theme begins at the top of page 5, on the
’cello, and is in the major key. The first theme, when it returns after
the development (in the ’cello) is considerably altered. In particular,
there is an increase of the rushing scalic work of which we had a taste
on the second page, just before the entry of the second subject. The
quick leaping figures of this movement are finely contrasted with the
more broadly moving yet still agile even-beat stepping (cf.. e.g., pages
12 and 13). A passage of scales and arpeggios, over piano chords,
brings the movement to an end.
Second Movement,
Adagio
(slow).—Clarinet (answered by ’cello) has a descending- and-mounting
theme, in leisurely stride, varied (top of page 15) by another which the
clarinet has first, in a minor key. The treatment is free, the dialogue
moving serene and eloquent, unhurried yet unflagging. On page 16 the
clarinet has a version of the first theme in which its main melody notes
are emphasised, the smaller, more quickly-moving notes being omitted.
(The ’cello’s plucked notes here are not quite of the sweetest; and
throughout its highest notes have a trace of whine). The leading theme
is heard again on page 17, bottom line, upon the ’cello.
Third Movement.
Andantino
grazioso {slowish, gracefully).—This is called “ scherzo ” on the
label, but it is more like the older minuet. (Compare its feeling with
that of the Mozart B flat Quartet, noticed elsewhere.) It is slight, and
scarcely of interest equal to that of the other movements. A point of
interest is the long sweep of the first tune—an extended melody. After
this has been repeated by the piano, a minor-key section ensues,
followed by a partial repetition of the first portion of the movement.
Then comes a new section, with the clarinet moving in sweeping
arpeggios. A return of the first theme (’cello) brings the movement to
an end.
Fourth Movement.
Allegro (quick).—The time is
given as 2/4 (6/8)—two in a bar, but the beats sometimes divided into
two parts, sometimes into three. This makes for that diversity of rhythm
that Brahms was so fond of. The leaping tune that begins (in the
’cello) comes very often, in some shape or other. So does the
five-semiquaver figure that the piano has in the second line. (Already
we have our alternation of beat-division, it will be noticed.) At the
seventeenth bar comes a tune, the complement of the first—leading up (at
the two bars of slower notes, bottom of page 31) to the second chief
theme, distinguished by its being partly two-in-a-bar and partly in
three. Its second half (bottom of page 32) is given by piano alone.
After only eight bars of this, the first chief tune returns (piano), its
complementary portion being delayed by a little development and by a
kind of “false start” (bottom of page 34), The piano, as before, has
this portion to itself. Follows a repetition of the alternated
two-and-three-beat section, in its two parts (second this time given to
clarinet and ’cello), and a coda wherein some joyous arpeggios round off
the movement.
The only fault I find in the playing is that the
’cello is sometimes a thought too strong for the reed instrument (most
beautifully played); and that the piano tone, though pretty good
(sometimes notably so) fails on occasion to give full sonority. If any
are a little surprised to see Mr. Harty in the ranks of pianists, it may
be recalled that before becoming known as a conductor he was one of the
finest accompanists we had. His sensitive playing here is in the
highest degree effective, and the limitation spoken of, I am sure, is
purely that of the piano, not of the player.
K. K., The Gramophone, February 1925
Tchaikovsky Piano Trio
Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in A minor “To
the Memory of a Great Artist” played by Arthur Catterall, W, H Squire
and William Murdoch L.1942-47 (12in., £1 I9s., in an album). It is good
that this work has been recorded in its entirety. The Theme and
Variations out of it, on one record, was among the precious early
chamber music records of pre-electric days, but that sort of thing is
not good enough to-day: and therefore the same three artists have played
the whole work on six records, very much to the credit of Columbia. The
performance is good though it never breathes quite so deeply as was
intended by the composer. The best playing is to be found in the
variations, which also are more in chamber music style than the first
movement, where a dramatic line is maintained not unlike that of the
symphonies. (It is queer that Tchaikovsky in his operas is lyric and in
the symphonies and for instance this trio is dramatic to a great extent.
The operas, by the way, are not out of repertory to-day, as the analyst
of the album will have it, Onegin and even Pique Dame being in steady
demand on the Continent.) Nevertheless it is an extremely enjoyable
performance which is sure to be welcomed by the many lovers of this fine
work. There is no need for me to add anything in the way of analysis,
since this is well done in the album itself
C. J., The Gramophone, July 1928
Fanfare Review
Recommended to collectors of historic recordings - the leading British cellist of his generation
William Henry Squire (1871–1963) was the leading British cellist of his generation; despite his longevity, however, his recording career seems to have lasted only into the early 1930s. In addition to the works offered here, he also recorded concertos of Saint-Saëns and Elgar, Beethoven’s “Archduke” Trio (all also available from Pristine), and numerous shorter works such as the four encores included on this CD. The recordings here were all made between 1924 and 1928 for English Columbia, and the two major works were first recordings.
Squire’s collaborators were all well known as well. Haydn Draper was the nephew of the famous clarinetist Charles Draper, who recorded both the Mozart and Brahms Quintets with the Léner Quartet; Arthur Catterall and the Australian pianist William Murdoch have both fallen into obscurity, but were leading recording artists of their day. Hamilton Harty, best remembered as a conductor, was a triple threat, and is documented here in his other two roles, those of pianist and composer. He was knighted the year after this recording was made.
Despite the able ministrations of producer Mark Obert-Thorn, there’s no mistaking the acoustic origin of the 1924 Brahms recording; the sound is boxy, with a bit of an edge to Squire’s tone. The balance favors the cello, which probably was closer to the recording horn than the other two instruments. Nevertheless, one can tell that Draper had a pure sound—the ascendancy of Reginald Kell, who was to change English clarinet playing, for better or worse, for three generations, was still in the future—and that Harty acquits himself well. The interpretation is rather mainstream, but the tempo of the last movement is somewhat unbending, perhaps partially owing to the four-and-a-half minute limitation of the 78-rpm side.
The sound is much better in the 1928 recording of the Tchaikovsky Trio, which was extravagantly spread over 12 sides—and that with a sizeable cut in the finale. There is, for the time, an unusual amount of reverberation in this recording; Obert-Thorn says in his note that this trio was recorded at a lower level, which might explain the atypical amount of surface noise that remains in the transfer. The performance is more free-wheeling than that of the Brahms, with plastic tempos and lots of portamento from both string players. Murdoch plays his share of wrong notes; of course, editing of recordings was impossible in those days.
The four encores document a kind of cello playing not heard anymore, with frequent, generous slides. Here, far more clearly than in the sonically compromised Brahms, or even in the Tchaikovsky, where the violin predominates, Squire displays a fine tone and a tasteful vibrato. The Harty and Dunkler pieces also show that he had a healthy technique.
Given the limitations of the originals, Obert-Thorn’s transfers are exemplary; the side joins are undetectable even if you know where they are, and aside from the Brahms, the sound is as natural as you could hope for, considering the nearly 90-year-old originals. Now perhaps Pristine can be persuaded to devote a CD or two to the all-but-forgotten Catterall, who recorded two concertos and four sonatas for Columbia in the 1920s. Recommended to collectors of historic recordings. Richard A. Kaplan