Aron Quartet produce a golden Korngold

The Aron Quartet relish in Korngold's idea-packed pieces with a first-class performance of the composer's chamber music

Composer: Korngold
Repertoire: String Quartets Nos 1-3; Piano Quintet
Artists: Aron Quartet, Henri Sigfridsson (piano)
Rating:  5/5
Genre: Chamber
Label: CPO 777 436 2

Korngold’s quartets range from his early twenties through to his later Hollywood years; their soundworlds travel from the opulence of Viennese late-Romanticism to an intriguing juxtaposition in No.3 of near-Stravinskyan polytonality with themes recycled from some of his superb film scores. Korngold crams a great many ideas into each piece – sometimes his chamber music seems to want to burst and turn into symphonies. The Arons, with Sigfridsson in the Quintet, have produced a tour-de-force, relishing the inventive textures and atmospheres with sensitive, full-blooded playing that’s simply world class. The Quintet’s slow movement is like audible Klimt.