Ax, Stoltzman, Ma : Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart : Trios for Piano, Clarinet, Cello

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Surprisingly, this seems to be the only coupling of the three most popular Clarinet Trios in the repertoire. The all-star ensemble, all musicians who have frequently performed together, turns out extremely fine performances of all three works. If the Brahms seems like the most thoroughly understood, in its combination of warmth and impulse, the other two works are nearly as fine. Very good sound, resonant and very well balanced, completes a total winner of a disc. --Leslie Gerber

Tracks:

Trio For Piano, Clarinet And Cello In A Minor, Op. 114: I. Allegro
Trio For Piano, Clarinet And Cello In A Minor, Op. 114: II. Adagio
Trio For Piano, Clarinet And Cello In A Minor, Op. 114: III. Andantino grazioso - Trio
Trio For Piano, Clarinet And Cello In A Minor, Op. 114: IV. Allegro
Trio For Piano, Clarinet And Cello In B Flat Major, Op. 11: I. Allegro con brio
Trio For Piano, Clarinet And Cello In B Flat Major, Op. 11: II. Adagio
Trio For Piano, Clarinet And Cello In B Flat Major, Op. 11: III. Tema : Pria ch'io l'impegno. Allegretto
Trio For Piano, Clarinet And Viola (Cello) In E Flat Major, K. 498: I. Andante
Trio For Piano, Clarinet And Viola (Cello) In E Flat Major, K. 498: II. Menuetto - Trio
Trio For Piano, Clarinet And Viola (Cello) In E Flat Major, K. 498: III. Rondeaux. Allegretto

Amazon.com essential recording

Surprisingly, this seems to be the only coupling of the three most popular Clarinet Trios in the repertoire. The all-star ensemble, all musicians who have frequently performed together, turns out extremely fine performances of all three works. If the Brahms seems like the most thoroughly understood, in its combination of warmth and impulse, the other two works are nearly as fine. Very good sound, resonant and very well balanced, completes a total winner of a disc. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Perfect together.......2007-07-14

I'm not usually one for collections of classical music "greats."

But this Sony Classical CD isn't an instance of the "usual" such affairs. Rather the performances of the 18th Century Mozart and Beethoven and 19th Century Brahms trios were recorded at a concert series at New England Conservatory of Music in Boston from June 27 to June 29, 1993.

I'd love to have listened live. But hearing a CD of these three master musicians--Emmanuel Ax (piano) Richard Stoltzman (clarinet) and Yo Yo Ma (cello)--is a very fine substitute.

I don't understand the supposed few flaws others hear in these performances. All three pieces make wonderful chamber music, and both the works and the musicians are perfect together.

Maybe musicians are usually good critics, but concerning this CD, the plain old-fashioned music listeners call it best. Count me a simple music-listener--and a fan of this CD.

Stoltzman? more like Sucksman.......2007-03-18

I bought this CD on a whim, figuring "with these musicians, it can't be bad!" Well, it can.

The biggest and most readily apparent problem is Stoltzman's clarinet playing. He seems to have become so convinced of his own brilliance as a musician that he's thrown restraint to the wind. He plays so aggressively in some sections and his tone is so shrill that I occasionally cringe to listen to it. Or, I should say, I *used* to cringe, because I sold this CD back to the store today.

As for Ax and Ma, while their playing is decent, they seem to have become infected by Stoltzman's rambunctiousness and at times the whole thing sounds like a three-way ego contest. There are much better recordings of these pieces available.

(Apparently, this recording won the 1996 Grammy for best chamber performance. Just goes to show that the Grammys have a lot more to do with whose name is on the cover than what's actually on the record.)

Camaraderie: Ax/Stoltzman/Ma Finesse the Masters.......2005-08-15

Listening to this buoyant and refreshing recording of the three major trios for clarinet, piano and cello confirms the fact that ensemble playing is best served when the performers of like mind. It is nothing short of a joy to hear Emanuel Ax, Richard Stoltzman, and Yo-Yo Ma sit down to join spirits in chamber music. The results are infectious, in keeping with each composer's work, and played with meticulous detail and warmth.

While most people will find the Brahms trio (opus 114) the most fully realized of the three, on this recording the Beethoven trio #4 (opus 11) is the most illuminating performance of the three. The phrasing is crisp, with one instrument taking up the leading melody and passing it graciously to the other instruments. It is a cohesive work, splendidly played. Our triad of great musicians obviously enjoys every moment of bringing this wonderful work to life. That is not to say that the Mozart trio (K 498) is not superb - it is just that this work is played so often that familiarity results in less attention to the performance.

This recording is highly recommended not only for those multitudes of fans of these three extraordinary musicians (and friends!), but also for lovers of chamber music of all forms. Grady Harp, August 05

Mostly beautiful, with some so so moments.......2004-07-29

I think this CD has some great moments, and a few that could use a little work. My main complaint is that at some times, Stoltzman often sounds overly-excited, both in his phrasing and his tone quality. The final movements of the Beethoven and Brahms both suffer from this occasionally.

I find that Stoltzman excels on the more delicate music, and accordingly the Mozart Trio and slower movements of the Brahms are absolutely beautiful.

Because of the few flaws (plus the fact that some pieces are transcribed from trios originally featuring viola), this CD shouldn't be your standard versions of these pieces, but this CD certainly makes an interesting and fun addition to CD collection.

Disappointing performances by truly great performers.......2003-11-25

It seems to me that these trios were put together with an absolute minimum of rehearsal time. Phrasing is often not quite together, the voices do not consistently pass one to another, and the Brahms in particular seems to be rather disorganized. It's obvious that all three performers have deep understandings of the music, but the conflicts in their interpretations were apparently not addressed or resolved in the pre-session rehearsals. All you have to do is listen to a couple of the transitions points in the Brahms to realize that these performers are solo artists, not ensemble players.

Additionally, these recordings were seriously marred by Stoltzman's performance. While it is true that Muhlfeld, the clarinettist for whom the Brams Trio was written, did use vibrato, it's unlikely that he played with the Glen Miller sound. Stoltzman's awful tone is hugely responsible for my distaste for this recording.

I don't particularly care for the Beethoven or Mozart trios, but they were better executed than the Brahms. The Brahms is a much more sophisticated piece than the other trios, and it deserves a much better treatment than the one afforded here.