French composer Ernest Chausson produced an abundance of songs yet struggled to produce any impressive quantity of large-scale works. Perhaps his greatest achievement outside of his songs is the Op. 21 Concert, scored for violin, piano, and string quartet. The instrumentation and formal structure of the piece, which took some three years to complete, is a perfect illustration of Chausson's struggles. Though the solo violin figures prominently, the instrumental forces are continuously reconfigured to give various instruments and combinations thereof the starring role. Performing this unique and monumental work are the
Wihan String Quartet joined by violinist Stephen Shipps and pianist Eric Larsen (both of the
Meadowmount Trio). The ensemble does a nice job of capturing all of these changing textures and combinations and does so while maintaining an intense but rich, warm sound. The outer Anime movements are driven and exciting; the third movement Grave is breathtaking in its stillness and gravitas. Intonation is generally good, though Shipps occasionally sounds sharp compared to the
Wihan members. The disc concludes with Chausson's first major completed chamber work, the G minor Piano Trio. The
Meadowmount members do a commendable job of revitalizing this youthful work that can sometimes pale in comparison to the concert. There is a great deal of unison and octave playing between the cello and the violin in the Trio; Shipps and cellist Owen Carman pleasingly match pitch throughout. Naxos' sound is clear and responsive.