Petersen Quartet, Ewa Kupiec - Shostakovich: Piano Quintet, String Quartets Nos. 1 & 4 (2005)

While the Petersen Quartet's recordings of Shostakovich's Piano Quintet and First and Fourth cannot in some ways compare to the Borodin or the Beethoven Quartet's recordings of the same works, the group's performances are still well worth hearing by anyone who loves the music. Because, paradoxically, while it is true that the Borodin and the Beethoven Quartet's recordings have the advantage of knowing the music from the composer himself, the Petersen has the advantage of not knowing the music from the composer himself. The Borodin and the Beethoven's recordings have the weight of revelation behind them and every note in their performances sounds deep and true. But the Petersen's recordings have the advantage of not having the weight of revelation behind them and every note in its performances sounds fresh and new. The graceful evanescence of the First quartet's closing Allegro, the bright exuberance of the quintet's central Scherzo, and especially the grinding agony of the Fourth quartet's closing Allegretto makes Shostakovich's music sound as compelling as the Borodin or the Beethoven's performances, but without the sense of honor-bound duty that can make the earlier performances sound overly serious. And while the brilliant young Polish pianist Ewa Kupiec cannot really compare with Sviatoslav Richter, much less Dmitry Shostakovich, in the quintet, her performance has an energy and lightness that neither of them can match. Capriccio's sound is clean and detailed, yet still deep and warm.