Sergei Taneyev's influence was felt throughout the golden age of Russian musical romanticism. As teacher, theorist and friend, he shaped the musical personalities of Scriabin, Rachmaninov, and Medtner, and he was one of Tchaikovsky's most valued critics. Yet, as a composer, he is now virtually forgotten.
Cellist Steven Isserlis's series at the Wigmore Hall sets out to reinstate Taneyev's compositional reputation. But there is also a personal dimension to his championing of this obscure figure. Isserlis's grandfather studied with Taneyev as a child, and impressed his teacher with his attempts at composition.
The first concert paired Taneyev's First String Quintet, completed in 1903, with Tchaikovsky's A minor Piano Trio. It was a revealing contrast. Taneyev was respected in his time for his mastery of counterpoint and fugue, features usually associated with central European traditions. But this is exactly the reason for his contemporary neglect, since we now think of Russian music as something distinct from German romanticism.
The String Quintet is full of densely worked polyphony and complex forms. But there is an individuality about Taneyev's voice: this is not simply second-rate Brahms or Reger. The String Quintet wears its learning lightly.
Its most memorable passages have a directness and charm that belies their academic credentials. Isserlis and his all-star colleagues complemented the clarity and passion of this music with a performance of searing commitment.
Tchaikovsky's Piano Trio received fascinating, if bizarre, treatment at the hands of Isserlis, pianist Nelson Goerner and violinist Ivry Gitlis. Gitlis's wild inflections of pitch and rhythm belonged to a performance style rarely encountered outside the realm of historical recordings.
There were moments of real musicality, such as the way he shaped the themes of the second movement with different shades of vibrato. But there were also passages that set your teeth on edge: the octaves between Gitlis and Isserlis in the first movement were microtonally dissonant. It was an extra- ordinary, if not entirely pleasant, experience.
· Further Taneyev concerts tomorrow and January 23. Box office: 020-7935 2141.
