"In 1904, Sergei Taneyev's massive and outstanding string quintet for 2 violins, viola, and 2 cellos was published as his opus 14. The first movement, Allegro con spirito, almost symphonic in tone, is filled with spirited and appealing melodies. The middle movement is a highly effective Vivace con fuoco. It features a very energetic main theme, while the equally spirited second theme is, both in its rhythm and melody, of Slavic origins. The huge finale, Tema con variazione, consists of the andantino theme and nine extensive variations. It is an excellent example of Taneyev's extraordinary technique and art. I highly recommend this work both for concert performance and to amateur players."
So wrote Wilhelm Altmann, one of the most respected chamber music critics of all time. Sergei Taneyev (1856-1915) is one of the greatest Russian composers from the last half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, and probably, from this group, the one whose music is the least known in the West. Taneyev came from an aristocratic family that patronized the arts, and when Sergei's talent became apparent, his father sent him to the newly opened Moscow Conservatory at the age of 10. His main teachers there were Nicolai Rubinstein for piano and Tchaikovsky for composition. Although he became a brilliant pianist, Taneyev opted for a career as a composer and teacher and soon became a professor at the Conservatory. His fame both as a teacher and as a composer quickly spread. Among his many students were Gliere, Rachmaninov, Gretchaninov, Scriabin, and Medtner. In Russian concert halls, one always finds a bust of Taneyev alongside those of Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky. Sadly, the fame of this outstanding composer has not spread beyond his homeland.
Unquestionably one of the finest string quintets ever written, it has been out of print for the better part of a century. We are pleased to make this fine work available once again, and as Altmann writes, it deserves to be heard in concert and will also be enjoyed by amateurs.
