Chamber Symphony, op. 110a; Symphony for Strings (listed as Chamber Symphony), op. 118a.
Lev Markiz, Amsterdam Sinfonietta.
Challenge Classics CC72130. DDD. TT 48:58.
Recorded Waalse Kerk, Amsterdam, September 1989.

There are now several recordings of Rudolf Barshai's Eighth and Tenth Quartet transcriptions, and a number of opus 110a-118a pairings. What sets these recordings by Lev Markiz apart is that they are perhaps the most symphonically conceived of them all.

These performances impart a sense of the composer's epic symphonies with their large-scale drama pitched against their terrorised soliloquies. Markiz has a broader canvas in mind than the intimate dialogue of the string quartet from which these pieces originally sprung. The opening argument of the opus 110a is more than just a canon on "DSCH"; there is a brooding sense of unfolding drama, a feeling of symphonic exposition, with the Allegro molto movement bursting forth like the development, dashing headlong into the Jewish dance with a ferocity that approaches the hysteria of the early Borodin and Fitzwilliam Quartet performances.

Likewise, the Passacaglia of opus 118a descends into a desolate landscape reminiscent of the fourth movement of Shostakovich's Eighth Symphony - just compare how the wistfully "optimistic" final movement sprouts from this wasteland in the same manner as the finale of the symphony does from its Passacaglia movement.

Markiz leads the polished Amsterdam Sinfonietta on a furious journey: the performances are crisp and sharp, and as hard-driven as I have heard. The glistening string sound of the Dutch ensemble has a glorious sheen, tempered with a tough leanness, perfect for this music. The basses are especially nimble and haves a wonderful presence, bringing out fine detail in the lower end. The ensemble displays deep understanding and plenty of enthusiasm for these two works, bowing furiously with resin abounding.

The spectacular playing is aided by a wonderfully transparent and meticulously detailed sound, offering immaculate placing of voices and illuminating the many interlocking parts of, for example, the second movement of opus 118a, which sparkle with the multifaceted splendour of a finely cut diamond. If this disc leaves you a little cold at first, then turn the volume up a few notches; I initially found it somewhat unengaging, but soon concluded that this was not the fault of the performance but of the recording level, which is significantly lower than, say Juha Kangas' BIS disc (CD-1256; reviewed in DSCH No. 17). Despite the technical superiority of the Amsterdam ensemble and the superb engineering of the present disc, BIS' sound is more concentrated and forward, and packs a powerful punch.

Comparing the performances on these two CDs finds Markiz's ensemble matching Kangas' Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra in many aspects. The Amsterdamers play the slow movements of both works very well, with deft tonal shading and beautifully hushed solo playing; sample, for instance, the hushed, terrified solo in the opus 110a Allegretto or the masterfully crafted opening movement of opus 118a. Their Allegros match the Finns' in ferocity and fire.

Indeed, it is a tough choice between the two performances of opus 110a. Markiz's sympathy for the score shines through in practically every bar, and the entire five-movement work is tautly moulded, from the searing Allegro molto to the grotesque waltz of the Allegretto, to the dramatic insight of the terrifying death knocks and impassioned eulogy of the fourth movement which dissolve so poignantly into the series of quotations which weave in and out of consciousness like a distant memory, capped with a supremely touching final movement where each entry of the fugue not just a thread in the musical tapestry but a voice of its own, with its own story to tell, culminating in a shimmering forte that echoes the desolate string tutti of the Eighth Symphony.

In the end I think the Finns have just a little more terror in their performance, especially in the relentless assault of the Allegro molto where they have the sort of maniacal, reckless abandon that carries the music from the ferocious to the terrifying. What they lack in the precision of the Amsterdam Sinfonietta they make up for in a singularly bloodthirsty attitude.

Markiz's opus 118a is even more compelling than his opus 110a, especially in the outer movements. The opening Andante unfolds like a series of question marks held together by intuitive use of phrasing and short pauses, and the shiver of the sul ponticello tremolos are chilling indeed. The grotesque Allegretto furioso sees plenty of fine playing, especially in the inner voices and in the multi-part dialogues. There is such a startling variety of timbres played with such finesse here that I am reluctant to say that I still prefer the unbridled hysteria of the Ostrobothnians in this movement. Markiz starts off a little slower than Kangas, losing out on the impact of such a rabid interruption of the calm in the preceding movement, and although he accelerates into a fiery finish, the Finns have the edge - the way their notes flurry around like a swarm of bees, the way the clashing multi-stopped chords spit and bray, the way the obsessive high melody on the violin takes the entire movement over the edge of sanity. But only just; no one would accuse Markiz and his band of being timid here. They whip up quite a storm by the end of the movement, paving the way for a Passacaglia that is completely defeated and numb from the beating it has taken. I like the way Kangas ushers in the reprise of the Passacaglia theme, but Markiz's theatrical touch is highly effective in adding a dash of colour to an otherwise relentlessly grey work.

In the end it is this theatrical quality that sets this performance apart from the competition - while Kangas will have you at the very edge of your seat, Markiz does nearly the same, but with significantly more polish and style.

I only regret that the disc offers a meagre 48 minutes of music, which is rather stingy by today's standards. Only Deutsche Grammophon's 1990 release of these works by Barshai with the European Community Chamber Orchestra shared this lack of generosity (DG 429 229-2; deleted), and those recordings are due to be re-released in March with other discmates (DG 477 544-2). The New Century Chamber Orchestra (New Albion NA 088 CD; reviewed in DSCH No. 9) and the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin (Claves CD 50-9115; deleted) include the Two Pieces For String Octet and the Requiem for Strings (Misha Rachlevsky's arrangement of String Quartet No. 15), respectively. Kangas' white-hot performance of the main works paired with the premiere of the Suite on Finnish Themes is hard to beat.

CH Loh
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