Musique de chambre

Description

Chamber music weaves throughout Frank Martin's career in a multitude of ensembles and different titles, ranging from the classical to the more unexpected, such as the Rhapsody for string quintet with double bass, the Sonata da chiesa for viola d'amore and organ, the Ballade for trombone and piano, or the Petite fanfare for brass sextet. In this abundance, the composer only approaches the most historically established genres sparingly. His only string quartet is a late work, his last piece of chamber music. In contrast, the Piano and String Quintet and the Pavane couleur du temps are among his earliest contributions in this field. At the end of 1918, Martin married Odette Micheli, and the young couple settled in Zurich. The Piano and String Quintet was composed in this city a few months later. The work belongs to a period during which the composer's style gradually frees itself from post-Romanticism and becomes more personal. Martin's recent meeting with Ernest Ansermet coincides with a marked interest in the music of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, of whom the conductor is a fervent advocate. The Quintet reflects this influence but goes well beyond it. An unusual conception of this musical genre is already heard from the very first measures. Against a painful accompaniment from the violins and viola, the cello introduces a plaintive and passionate melody. It is not until the sixteenth measure that the piano makes a timid appearance. With a few exceptions, the piano remains in the background throughout the piece, content to provide support in color or rhythm. This is far from the tradition of the piano quintet which, from Johannes Brahms to Gabriel Fauré and César Franck, has placed the keyboard on equal footing with the strings. It is in the minuet that Ravel's spirit is most explicitly found: the dance is highly stylized, and both the rhythmic momentum and certain effects of pizzicato and arpeggiated chords evoke the world of the French composer. [...]