Eduard Náprávnik: Piano Quartet Op. 42 in A Minor & Violin Sonata Op. 52 in G Major

Originally from the Czech Republic, Eduard Nápravník is now inevitably associated with the rise of the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra of St. Petersburg, which he led for nearly half a century and elevated to a leading international orchestra. He thus left his mark on Russia’s musical scene, both musically and in terms of cultural politics, and was also in demand as a composer. In view of this biography of Nápravník, nothing could be more obvious than for him to use the most diverse instruments of the symphony orchestra as models when composing, to project their sonorities onto other instruments as well. His Piano Quartet op. 42 also has an orchestral layout. Nápravník succeeds in capturing orchestral color and force even in the small instrumentation and unleashing it monumentally even in small chamber music halls. The Violin Sonata op. 52 is similarly conceived. Especially in the opening, Nápravník’s orchestrally influenced thinking is again evident, as the piano forms a pure surface as a starting point, over which the violin delicately rises – here Nápravník uses burgeoning mock polyphony to create the impression of several melodic instruments. In the finale, Nápravník brings together the aforementioned core elements of his style to create a large-scale, playfully striking movement with an orchestral texture and ironclad cohesion despite a wide variety of themes. A masterfully crafted yet effective sweep.