Quick! When was the last time you heard an organ quintet? That’s right, a work scored for organ and string quartet. Chances are good that you’ve never heard one unless you’ve already listened to this premiere recording of six quintets composed by the ever-resourceful Padre Antonio Soler. Like his better-known concertos for two organs, Soler’s quintets were composed with longstanding organ pupil Prince Gabriel (son of the Spanish royal family) in mind, and they similarly feature many adventurous moments beyond the already unorthodox setting. For instance, the number of movements significantly varies from quintet to quintet–in number, length, and tempo. Organist Paul Parsons’ role here is equally irregular–at times he functions as a soloist in a traditional concerto setting, though more often he performs as an equal member of the ensemble.
Arguably the final and longest quintet, No. 6 in C, is Soler’s most ambitious and fascinating offering. After a succession of five very diverse yet typically brief movements and a sixth four-minute quartet with Parsons serving primarily in a continuo role, Soler presents a nearly 22-minute Rondo with 12 variations, each scored for different solo and instrumental combinations. Of the many inspired moments of this imaginative finale, variations 2 (strings without cello), 8 (organ joined by viola and cello in the second half), 10 (solo organ with chords in alternating registers), and 11 (dialogue between the muted first violin and organ right hand, with pizzicato strings) are most entertaining.
Guild’s sound is very good, with excellent balances between Parsons and the quartet. Christopher Wellington’s informative notes also feature an outline discussing the highlights of each movement. Although the performances are consistently good, the Rasoumovsky Quartet’s intonation and tone quality are shaky at times. Much of this problem may have to do with the group’s relative inexperience performing on gut strings, which they employ here for authenticity. However, in the context of their overall achievement this is not a major drawback, and all fans of the illustrious Padre should strongly consider acquiring this delightful set. [10/21/2004]
