May / June 2014

Friedrich Kiel's Magnificent Piano Quintets

In this day and age it is not often that one hears any piano quintet in concert or on the radio, other than those of Schumann, Dvorak and Brahms. This is a great pity because there are so many other fine ones. Some, such as the two by Friedrich Kiel, can quite justifiably be called the equal to the three mentioned above.

A sizeable portion of Kiel’s output is chamber music, most of it for piano and strings. When he undertook to write for a particular ensemble, he often would produce two works, one after another, for the same combination. This was the case when he came to compose his Piano Quintets. Perhaps it was a question of having so many good ideas that one work was not big enough to accommodate them all. The first quintet, Piano Quintet No.1 in A Major, Op.75, dates from 1875. The first of its five movements, Allegro moderato, opens with a broad theme given to the viola and cello, unhurried and expansive in mood, despite the quiet rush of running notes in the piano, which kept well in the background. In the second theme one hears faint echoes of both Mendelssohn and Brahms. The development, which builds tension and speed, is truly masterful, but Kiel keeps this tightly under control, judiciously releasing tension at critical moments by the reintroduction of the more relaxed main theme. The second movement, marked Allegro molto, gets underway sounding more like an intermezzo than an allegro molto. However, this actually is quite deceptive when you examine the notes. It’s almost in one rather than 3/4, the printed time signature. In fugal fashion, the viola, the cello and then the second violin enter. However, the theme is never fully stated during the fugue, and only when the first violin and piano enter do we hear it in its entirety. By then the music has morphed from a subtle ane elegant intermezzo into a powerful and driving march. The middle section consists of a slower and very lovely lyrical section. The slow movement, Adagio con espressione, by virtue of its coming third, occupies the central position in the Quintet. Yet while the the main theme, given out by the piano alone is weighty and with much dignity, the movement is surprisingly short. But in this Kiel shows his mastery as the music is so tighly formatted and well-planned that one realizes there is not an extra note, not a moment’s filler, within this highly romantic and expressive music. After the piano, the strings enter as a body. Then the first violin, and later the cello, are given the chance to develop the music by means of accompanied solos. The next movement, Tempo di menuetto, is not the finale. Some scholars believe that Kiel required five movements because of the architecture he wished to create for the whole work. The short, but extremely beautiful, Adagio stands out more by being flanked by two less emotive movements on either side than by having a very powerful movement, which both the first and last movements are. Both the second movement, Allegro di molto, and the fourth movement, Tempo di menuetto, are interludes or breathing pauses between the three remaining very dynamic movements. In any event, Kiel’s treatment of this movement all but obscures its classical roots. The minuet begins with the piano alone stating the theme before the strings are allowed to enter. The theme has an indescribable quality. Neither buoyant nor happy, yet not sad or tragic, it moves along in an aura of uncertainty. There are two trios, rather than the usual one. The first is rhythmically muscular while the second is lyrical. The effect of the arpeggio piano accompaniment in the second trio is quite stunning. In the brilliant finale, Allegro, Kiel’s classicism is on display. The main theme is first stated by the piano, sounding vaguely Hungarian and somewhat imposing. But as soon as the strings enter, it suddenly changes into an ebulliant and joyous melody, full of Schubertian charm, framed by the masterly use of pizzicato. Kiel’s method of construction can best be likened to an old married couple that complete each other’s sentences. First, one instrument begins a phrase, then another utters a few more notes to move it along, then a third, a forth and so on until, at last, the whole picture is painted. But one is does not become aware of this simply by listening to the music. The brilliant coda is one of the most exciting in the literature, a true tour d’force, and a fitting conclusion for this outstanding work. It is certainly well worth listening to the sound-bites on our website. Long unavailable, the parts to Op.75 were reprinted by Edition Silvertrust.

Piano Quintet No.2 in c minor, Op.76 was published at the same time as the first, and it is more than likely that Kiel began work on it immediately after finishing Op.75. Kiel was a keen student and admirer of Beethoven and the c minor key he chose for this work cannot be dismissed as insignificant in light of how much meaning it had for Beethoven. The massive first movement, Allegro maestoso, begins on a diffident note with a slow introduction which gives way to an episode of stressful conflict but even this only leads to the return of the introduction. The working out of this conflict goes on at great length before we get a proper statement of the main theme. The second subject is more hopeful and at times gives the promise of overpowering the first theme as the movement lumbers along, but in the end the lugubrious theme takes over and leads to a stormy conclusion. The lyrical second movement, Arioso, larghetto con moto, is uncomplicated but very beautiful. Its long-lined main theme, developed mainly by the cello and first violin, is reminiscent in mood and style of the lovely slow movement from Schubert’s cello quintet, D.956. The darker middle section is more or less the same tempo, but the heavenly innocence of what has come before is shrouded in a mist of uneasiness, much the way brief clouds float over the lovely melodies in Schubert’s quintet. This does not last long, but it serves as a reminder of the possibility of an unhappy, impending fate. Then the main theme reappears in an even more beautiful guise to bring the movement to a calm and perfect ending. Although the third movement is marked Intermezzo, it is quite clearly a scherzo and its tempo marking of Presto assai says it all. The elfin-like main theme, stated by the first violin, finds its roots in Mendelssohn, and perhaps Kiel was thinking of him when he gave it the title.. The music moves along at a a fast clip throughout, even in the more lyrical middle section where the melody in the lower voices creates a darker mood. Rather than proceeding directly to the finale, Kiel inserts a slow and somewhat lengthy Introduzione, the purpose of which is to build tension, before the spacious concluding Rondo. Its whirling opening theme leads to an even more exciting fugal section which is then followed up by a lovely second theme of Schubertian beauty. Kiel tricks us with several thrilling and effective faux endings before the real thing tops off this superb work. In sum, both of these quintets are as fine as any in the entire literature

Both of these fine works deserve to be heard in concert and to be played by amateurs as well  You can hear soundbites from both quintets on our website. The parts to each are available from Edition Silvertrust.