Mendelssohn: The Piano Trios

Track Listings

1. Pno Trio in d, Op.49: Molto Allegro Agitato

2. Pno Trio in d, Op.49: Andante Con Moto Tranquillo

3. Pno Trio in d, Op.49: Scherzo. Leggiero E Vivace

4. Pno Trio in d, Op.49: Finale. Allegro Assai Appassionato

5. Pno Trio in c, Op.66: Allegro Energico E Con Fuoco

6. Pno Trio in c, Op.66: Andante Espressivo

7. Pno Trio in c, Op.66: Scherzo. Molto Allegro Quasi Presto

8. Pno Trio in c, Op.66: Finale. Allegro Appassionato

Tracks:

Trio For Piano, Violin And Violoncello No. 1 In D Minor, Op. 49: I. Molto allegro ed agitato
Trio For Piano, Violin And Violoncello No. 1 In D Minor, Op. 49: II. Andante con moto tranquillo
Trio For Piano, Violin And Violoncello No. 1 In D Minor, Op. 49: III. Scherzo. Leggiero e vivace
Trio For Piano, Violin And Violoncello No. 1 In D Minor, Op. 49: IV. Finale. Allegro assai appassionato
Trio For Piano, Violin And Violoncello No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 66: I. Allegro energico e con fuoco
Trio For Piano, Violin And Violoncello No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 66: II. Andante espressivo
Trio For Piano, Violin And Violoncello No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 66: III. Scherzo. Molto allegro - quasi presto
Trio For Piano, Violin And Violoncello No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 66: IV. Finale. Allegro appassionato

Customer Reviews:

The best performance of these trios........2007-06-02

This is the best performance rendered to these trios.

The Best!.......2007-05-14

Mendelssohn wrote several works that can safely be called "Masterpieces." His piano trios are most certainly amongst them. Add to that the famed Stern, Istomen and Rose trio, with their bouncy, passionate and absolutely precise rendering of these classics and you have the definitive recording of the Mendelssohn trios. Period.

Beautiful Mendelssohn!.......2005-12-16

Chamber Music seems so right during the boisterous mechanics of the holidays and one sure respite from the garish noise of the external season can be found in works like the Mendelssohn Piano Trios.

Here Eugene Istomin, Leonard Rose, Isaac Stern perform Piano Trios 1 and 2 in a manner that bespeaks camaraderie of the performers as well as a complete respect for these luminous works. Some have called these works piano sonatas with obbligato and while for this listener that is an unfair judgment, Eugene Istomin plays the piano part with enough flair and thoughtful propulsion that he does at times sound the more important. But that is Mendelssohn's writing and not a self-aggrandizement of a pianist.

The overall sound is simply superb. These two trios are some of the loveliest ever written from that era and the gentlemen performing them offer sophisticated and informed interpretations. The recording is excellent, the music is rarefied! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, December 05

Near perfect.......2005-03-06

The Mendelssohn trios are some of the most beautiful music ever written. While I thoroughly enjoyed this recording and would highly reccomend buying it (at a bargain price here), i do have one small problem with it. Stern and Rose accompany each other quite well and while Stern here is at his usual, fiery and passionate, i feel that the pianist, Istomin, failed to match the fire that his accompanists create. Mendelssohn is said to have called his piano trios, "piano sonatas with accompaniment", as Mozarts works; which puts more emphasis on the piano part. And unfortunately here, there are more passages in whcih Istomin fails to live up to that than there should be. But where he fails, Stern makes up for, and that is why this recording is worth it.

Chamber music at its finest.......2004-11-29

I purchased this CD with the intent of finding fine players playing fine music. What I found, however, was and outstanding example of chamber music as its finest. The ensemble these 3 players generate is some of the finest ensemble music playing recorded. Each player displays exceptional technique, both in the mechanical and lyrical aspects of their playing. Most impressive is listening to Istomen who, playing a very technically and lyrically demanding part, voices his playing with such finess and carefull attention to detail to the strings; a feat very difficult to do as a pianist. This is an excellent recording for the professional to study a score from or for the avid listener to play over and over.

Mendelssohn: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2 [Hybrid SACD]

Average customer rating:

YOUTH
Three Young Musical Lions in Superb Mendelssohn Piano Trios

Mendelssohn: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2 [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: Pentatone
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto (Hybr)
Mozart, W.A.: Violin Concertos Nos. 1, 2 & 5
Brahms: Violin Concerto and Double Concerto [SA-CD - CD compatible]
Russian Violin Concertos [Hybrid SACD]
Mozart: Violin Concertos

ASIN: B000FVQUXK
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Tracks:

Molto Allegro Agitato
Andante Con Moto Tranquillo
Scherzo-Leggiero E Vivace
Finale-Allegro Assai Appassionato
Allegro Energico E Con Fuoco
Andante Espressivo
Scherzo-Molto Allegro Quasi Presto
Finale-Allegro Appassionato

Amazon.com

Mendelssohn wrote his first trio, Op. 49, when he was 30, the second, Op. 66, five years later. Among the most beloved favorites of the repertoire, they are heard so frequently--especially the first one--that one would think all interpretive choices had been exhausted. But there is something special about hearing them performed by musicians who are even younger than the composer was when he wrote them. The three players on this record, all of whom have flourishing solo careers, are in their 20s. They bring to this familiar music the freshness of a new discovery, without however straining for novelty or surprise; their unlimited instrumental command and beautiful, varied, invariably expressive tone are entirely at the service of the music. Their approach combines meticulous observance of the score--dynamics, phrasing, articulation--with youthful spontaneity, ardent romanticism with judicious restraint; they follow Mendelssohn to the heights and depths of emotion without becoming sentimental, exaggerating or resorting to external effects. Though essentially dark, somber and dramatic, both Trios find relief in dreamy, inward, lyrical slow movements, and while each has a characteristic Mendelssohnian elfin Scherzo, in the first Trio it is lit by a bright, sunny sky and in the second it is shadowed by ominous storm-clouds, punctuated by flashes of lightning. The players take both Scherzos extremely fast, and though every note is clear, many details get lost in the headlong rush. The only flaw of this very impressive recording is the balance: the piano is too loud, the violin too soft, and the dynamic contrasts are excessive. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

YOUTH.......2006-08-17

This month in Aspen, Colorado, I had the immense pleasure of hearing two of the participants in this recording perform Beethoven's "Kreisler" Violin Sonata--Jonathan Gilad, piano and Julia Fischer, violin. These very young performers made such an impression on me in the aforesaid work that I purchased this recording of the Mendelssohn Piano Trios that also includes Daniel Müller-Schott on cello. Again I am very impressed with ALL of these performers. I love these works and Julia Fischer, violin, Jonathan Gilad, piano, and Daniel Müller-Schott, Cello play them splendidly performing them with passion and with marvelous youthful energy (the works are, after all, youthful Mendelssohn). Although, I own many recordings of the Mendelssohn Piano Trios, I found this recording immensely satisfying being filled with such vigor and with such beauty of tone--ah youth! A big plus is that the performers seem to be so keenly aware of each other forming a marvelous team. How so very exciting!

The sound of this PentaTone SACD disc is great displaying a very rich and full sound--"state of the art" I'm sure!

So if you want to hear how exciting chamber music can be, buy this disc.

Three Young Musical Lions in Superb Mendelssohn Piano Trios.......2006-07-29

None of the three instrumentalists on this piano trio CD has been around all that long -- they're all in their twenties -- but the word has been getting out about them for some time now. Violinist Julia Fischer has made the biggest splash on the strength of recordings of Bach solo works, Mozart piano sonatas, and three Russian concerti as well as some high-profile concert appearances in Europe and North America. Cellist Daniel Müller-Schott is not far behind with his muscular tone, tight vibrato and a sound of his own, and a recent CD of the Elgar and Walton concerti with André Previn and the Oslo Philharmonic. Jonathan Gilad is a little less-well known but he had a very successful début CD on EMI with music of Beethoven, Brahms and Mozart. As far as I know this trio had not teamed up before, but whoever had the idea to get them together deserves a medal. All three of them are consummate chamber musicians on the evidence of this disc and, further, they appear to have the greatest respect for their trio partners. Fischer and Müller-Schott have a startling ability to match their tone to one another. Gilad's contribution sparkles and dances. Fischer, at the beginning of the rather somber first movement of the C Minor trio, reminds one startlingly of Rostropovich with a huge yet doleful sound.

The Mendelssohn Piano Trios, Op. 49 in D minor and Op. 66 in C Minor, have been recorded many times before, probably the No. 1 more often than the No. 2, and they have almost uniformly received excellent performances. Much acclaim has been heaped on some fairly recent recordings: the recent Beaux Arts Trio's second set of these works and the Florestan Trio's set. Many lovers of these works will remember an incandescent recording of the D Minor by the Stern/Rose/Istomin trio. There is even a poorly recorded by otherwise striking performance by the Cortot/Thibaud/Casals trio.

This group of young players do not take a backseat to any of the artists mentioned above. Their approach is fiery yet tender, flowing yet not afraid to linger at times. The trios have been accused of being lightweight by some snippy critics, but that charge certainly could not be leveled at these performances. These are big, muscular and spontaneous readings. There is some emphasis on the darker side of the music, especially in the C Minor, and yet they break free with a joyous élan in placed like the scherzo of the D Minor and the finale of the C Minor. The quotation of the Lutheran chorale 'Herr Gott, Dich fürchten wir alle' in that finale comes as an epiphany, one that is almost heart-breaking in its simplicity and sincerity.

The sound on this SACD disc is demonstration quality. The plain CD layer, although recorded at a somewhat lower dynamic level, is also quite good. I'm consistently impressed with the sound on these PentaTone hybrid SACD releases.

If you're in the market for a CD of these works, don't hesitate. This release joins with the greatest every made of these marvelous pieces.

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

Truth in advertising
Emphatic Melodies, Spiritual Complacency
All the Elegance and Tenderness of Mendelssohn's Perfect Piano Trios
True Romanticism
The Florestan Trio scores again!

Mendelssohn: The Piano Trios

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Saint-Saëns: Piano Trios
Piano Trio in E Flat
Schubert: Piano Trio, D 898; Trio movement, D 28; Notturno, D 897
Dvorák: Piano Trios, Opp. 65 & 90
Brahms: Complete Piano Trios

ASIN: B000B8656O
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Tracks:

Molto Allegro Agitato
Andante Con Moto Tranquillo
Scherzo: Leggiero E Vivace
Finale: Allegro Assai Appassionato
Allegro Enerrgico E Fuoco
Andante Espressivo
Scherzo: Molto Allegro Quasi Presto
Finale: Allegro Appassionato

Customer Reviews:

Truth in advertising.......2007-06-01

Having grown up on a piano trio diet that had the Beaux Arts Trio as the major food group the positive reviews that the Florestan Trio received prompted me in their direction. And where better to start than these perennial favorites of the repertoire. This recording has many virtues, yet some reservations in the approach kept me at 4 stars.

All three members of this trio are excellent instrumentalists who show a homogeneous approach to both compositions. The trio is helped by an excellent recording that puts all three member rock solid in the sound stage and has great clarity and dynamics.

My only reservation about this recording is the trio's approach to Mendelsohn. To me these interpretations too often sound more like early Brahms than Mendelsohn. While listening to this cd once or twice this extra "spice" was new and exciting, yet upon repeated listening started getting in the way of the "real" Mendelsohn.

Yet, as my title implied this trio offers truth in advertising. Robert Schumann characterized himself in two imaginary figures, the forceful Florestan and the poetic Eusebius. Indeed this cd projects a Florestan Mendelsohn. To me, though, a more Eusebian approach would have been even more appropriate for repeated listening to this disc.

Emphatic Melodies, Spiritual Complacency.......2007-03-24

Mendelssohn's D minor trio opens with an especially emphatic and memorable melody. Part of it resembles "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music. I recall no tune as emphatic as this among the piano trios of Schumann, Raff or Brahms. The only such tune I can think of is the one that starts Beethoven's Archduke Trio. High emphasis was a feature of Beethoven's choleric musical temperament-- "Artists are fiery and do not weep," he declared. Mozart's melodies are simple but rarely as emphatic except perhaps in works such as the D minor Piano Concerto. Mendelssohn adopted Mozart's quality of fluency and combined it with Beethoven's blunt emphasis to create music that sticks in the memory-- perhaps too well. As with Mozart it is a kind of elegant pop music. Mendelssohn has a way of sounding overly familiar after repeated listenings. He must have been great for premieres.

At present I prefer listening to Raff's trios simply because they are unfamiliar. Schumann is an intermediate figure. His melodies can be emphatic but he usually has something quirkish and uncanny up his sleeve. Brahms emulates Beethoven's sound of ardent effort. Raff achieves a type of beauty I do not find in other composers. Mendelssohn's comparatively delicate music, as in the second movement of the D minor trio sounds "sentimental" in a way that Raff never does. I define "sentimental" as a tendency to make a virtue of weakness in a way that the Apostle Paul never intended when he declared that he gloried in his infirmities.

The second movement of the D minor is emphatic in its own way and sounds like one of Mendelssohn's "Songs without Words" for solo piano. The piano entrance of the movement adds to this effect. Like the other composer from a Hebrew Christian background, Anton Rubinstein, Mendelssohn maintains a high professional standard; but this consistency gives his music a quality of deliberate limitation. It lacks the quality of "arete" or adventurous courage. Mendelssohn simulates adventure in his "Ruy Blas" and "Hebrides" overtures but does not allow the spirit of adventure to intrude on his professional muse. The hymn tune that turns up emphatically in the finale of the C minor trio seems more complacent than spiritually challenging.

All the Elegance and Tenderness of Mendelssohn's Perfect Piano Trios.......2006-06-20

The Florestan Trio is one of the finest ensembles before the public today. Pianist Susan Tomes, violinist Anthony Marwood, and cellist Richard Lester are not only superb musicians on the solo level, they have gained that estimable reputation of communication within their many recordings of perfect inflection, intonation, and phrasing that places them with the finest trios both now playing and those who have come before.

Mendelssohn's two Piano Trios hold the magic of his larger compositions. While the Piano Trio No. 1 quotes phrases and melodic lines from his symphonies, his early music for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and his 'Songs Without Words', the Piano Trio No. 2 is a more deeply personal statement, more solemn yet still with the airborne delicacy we associate with Mendelssohn: it is a fully mature work.

The immaculate ensemble playing by the Florestan Trio brings more energy and sense of continuity to the works than do other performances. There never seems to be a moment when the vision of each of the movements is in question: the Trio finds the line of thought and delivers it with grace of tone and technique.For those who admire exquisite chamber music, and even if there are other recordings of these two beautiful works in library, this CD is well worth adding to the connoisseur's collection. Grady Harp, June 06

True Romanticism.......2006-01-15

At last, a modern recording to equal the famous one of the first trio, performed by Alfred Cortot, Jacques Thibaud ans Pablo Casals! Lyric, gripping and on period instruments. Recommended.

The Florestan Trio scores again!.......2005-12-09

The Florestan Trio is well on its way to becoming the pre-eminent piano trio of this generation, with outstanding recordings of Dvorak, Schumann, Schubert, Beethoven, and Brahms (all on Hyperion) under their belts. They have impeccable technical polish and musical judgment, and they consistently bring a sense of freshness and re-discovery even to frequently performed and recorded works. So often in their recordings, they make a passage you've heard so many times already sound special and new, without being idiosyncratic or different just for the sake of being different. I'd been wondering for a while now when they would get around to the Mendelssohn trios, for which they are clearly well-suited. This new CD does not disappoint.

I have two good recordings already of these works: the Stern/Rose/Istomin trio on Columbia/Sony and the Vienna Piano Trio on Nimbus. The Florestan Trio's recording becomes my new favorite, not least for their choice of tempi. Frequently with the Vienna Piano Trio, I felt that the tempi were a bit rushed, with the result that the performances sounded a bit frantic (I've noticed this in the group's live performances also). The Florestan, on the other hand, is ideally paced, missing none of the sweep of the D minor trio's first movement, for example, yet without giving the sense that the notes are about to spin out of control. Their performance of the (later) C minor trio led to a re-thinking on my part: previously I'd discounted this work as the inferior, "greyer"-sounding of the two, but with a performance as fresh as this, one begins to think that the C minor work is in fact the subtler and more accomplished piece. I had a similar reaction after hearing the Florestan Trio's recording of the two Schumann trios, and it speaks volumes for the ensemble's quality when they can help us re-discover and re-evaluate works we thought we knew. The sound quality, as we've come to expect from Hyperion, is first-rate, ideally balanced, detailed yet warm.

What's next? The Florestan Trio has recorded most of the standard Romantic repertoire now; let's hope that they will get around to some of the (slightly) less well-known works, such as the trios of Smetana, Tchaikovsky, Arensky, and Rachmaninov. Haydn and Mozart also seem ideally suited for the Florestan Trio. I would be delighted to see the first volume of the "Complete Piano Trios of Joseph Haydn"!

Finally, a few words about this record company. Music lovers may be aware that Hyperion has had considerable legal and financial difficulties recently (for more information, visit their website at [...]). Let me say that this record label, perhaps more than any other classical label, is deserving of your support, even if its CDs cost a bit more. Their artists are outstanding, their choice of repertoire often adventurous, and their engineering superb. We can thank Hyperion for such notable achievements of classical recording as the complete lieder of Schubert and Schumann; the "Romantic Piano Concerto" series, now being followed up with violin and cello. This company probably has done more for the classical music lover in the past couple decades than the majors (Sony, RCA, EMI, Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, Philips, Warner) combined. Cheers to them, and let's help them keep doing this great work.

Mendelssohn, Brahms, Dvorak: Piano Trios

Average customer rating:

a vote for the Brahms
Reference recording of the Mendelssohn trio
Endearing, bought it for the Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn, Brahms, Dvorak: Piano Trios

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Mendelssohn: Piano Trios Op. 49 & Op. 66
Starker Plays Kodaly
Mozart: The Complete Piano Trios
Franz Schubert: Complete Trios
Dvorák, Tchaikovsky, Borodin: Quartets

ASIN: B000001K6O
Release Date: 1994-07-25

Tracks:

Trio No.2 In C Major, Op.87: I. Allegro - The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Trio No.2 In C Major, Op.87: II. Andante con moto - The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Trio No.2 In C Major, Op.87: III Scherzo: Presto - The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Trio No.2 In C Major, Op.87: IV Finale: Allegro - The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Trio No.4 In E Minor, Op. 90 'Dumky': Movement I In E Minor - The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Trio No.4 In E Minor, Op. 90 'Dumky': Movement II In C-Sharp Minor - The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Trio No.4 In E Minor, Op. 90 'Dumky': Movement III In A Major - The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Trio No.4 In E Minor, Op. 90 'Dumky': Movement IV In D Minor - The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Trio No.4 In E Minor, Op. 90 'Dumky': Movement V In E-Flat Major - The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Trio No.4 In E Minor, Op. 90 'Dumky': Movement VI In C Minor - The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio

Tracks:

Trio No.1 In B Major, Op.8: I. Allegro - The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Trio No.1 In B Major, Op.8: II. Scherzo: Allegro molto - The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Trio No.1 In B Major, Op.8: III. Adagio - The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Trio No.1 In B Major, Op.8: IV. Allegro - The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Trio No.3 In C Minor, Op.101: I. Allegro energico - The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Trio No.3 In C Minor, Op.101: II. Presto non assai - The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Trio No.3 In C Minor, Op.101: III. Andante grazioso - The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Trio No.3 In C Minor, Op.101: IV. Allegro molto - The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio

Tracks:

Trio No.1 In D Minor, Op.49: I. Molto allegro ed agitato - Mendelssohn
Trio No.1 In D Minor, Op.49: II. Andante con moto tranquillo - Mendelssohn
Trio No.1 In D Minor, Op.49: III. Scherzo: Leggiero e vivace - Mendelssohn
Trio No.1 In D Minor, Op.49: IV. Finale: Allegro assai appassionato - Mendelssohn
Trio No.2 In C Minor, Op.66: I. Allegro energico e con fuoco - Mendelssohn
Trio No.2 In C Minor, Op.66: II. Andante espressivo - Mendelssohn
Trio No.2 In C Minor, Op.66: III. Scherzo: Molto allegro quasi presto - Mendelssohn
Trio No.2 In C Minor, Op.66: IV. Finale. Allegro appassionato - Mendelssohn

Amazon.com

The K-L-R Trio's brief tenure with Vox produced these recordings of Romantic chamber-music masterpieces. This is an exceptionally virtuosic ensemble, made up of three soloists who have devoted part of every year to performing together for a couple of decades. As a result, their performances are extremely powerful yet very well integrated, certainly a desirable combination in repertoire like this. They even do a very idiomatic job of playing Dvorák, while their Brahms and Mendelssohn are really superb. Not only are these performances far above the normal standard for budget recordings, but they are also fine digital recordings. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

a vote for the Brahms.......2005-10-07

Since every review here talks about the Mendlssohn I'll talk about the Brahms. The versions here are well played and highly enjoyable. The recording quality is good although occasionally distant. My only problem is with the Dvorak trio. This version doesn't thrill me for some reason but this may be a matter of personal taste. The stand-out thing here is Laredo's great sound. This is quite a good bargain too.

Reference recording of the Mendelssohn trio.......2005-04-08

Absolutely nobody has gotten to this level of perfection recording the Mendelssohn trio. The two other trios are superb as well.

Endearing, bought it for the Mendelssohn.......2002-09-21

Don't let the budget price fool you. This is the best example of the Mendelssohn Trios performance that I have, including the Eugene Istomin, Leonard Rose, Isaac Stern trio, which sounds more mechanical to my ears.

Customer Reviews:

MORE PLEASE.......2005-01-11

This disc is a 2001 reissue of recordings originally made in 1988 and first marketed by Hyperion in the following year. As is often the way of such matters, I had never heard Clara Schumann's piano trio until two days ago, and now here is another fine performance of the work while it is still fresh in my mind.

So far as I'm concerned these are piano trios by two little-known romantic composers, not trios by someone's wife and someone else's sister. Fanny Mendelssohn was older than her brother and therefore had a start on him: Clara Wieck showed precocious musical talent that her ambitious and overbearing father had determined to make the most of before she ever heard of Robert Schumann, and I have no reason to believe that the musical influence as between brother and sister in the one case and husband and wife in the other was not a two-way street. Honesty compels me to say that I couldn't be sure of identifying other work by either composer on the strength of what I so far know, which is (on top of these trios) some violin/piano duos, songs and piano solos by Clara and nothing else whatsoever by Fanny. Honesty equally allows me to say that my first reaction to the first movement of CS's trio was that it showed a lot more continuity and fluency than many first movements by her husband, whose genius lay in other aspects of the matter. However you finally assess these two compositions, they are not the work of dilettantes or amateurs. Both show thorough musical schooling both in terms of the construction and of the instrumental writing. There is melodic talent too, and if I had had to guess the composer of FM's trio I might not necessarily have guessed anyone with the same surname. It is interestingly planned, with two slow movements in effect, an andante followed by a 'Lied' marked allegretto, but a slow allegretto. I can't believe that the speed adopted on the disc is wrong as the movement is less than two and a half minutes in length even played like this. For a moment or two it almost seemed as if there was going to be a third slow movement, but the finale gathers a bit of pace after a while.

The performances strike me as excellent, and the recording too. The liner-note is slightly humdrum, but it contains some useful background. The total playing-time is roughly 55 minutes. I would have appreciated some fillers, given how little the composers' work is generally known, but at a bargain price I suppose I ought not to be greedy. I know for a fact that there is some very interesting stuff by CS, and I should be pleased to learn that more of FM's work, still I believe largely unpublished, is being made available to us.

A Pair of Trios Worth Knowing.......2001-11-14

Reissued on Hyperion's budget label Helios, this CD is an especially welcome addition to the catalog. While Clara Schumann's very competent Trio is reminiscent of Robert's Trio No. 3, it lacks the memorable melodies and much of the drama of the latter work. I generally find that Clara, as a composer, rightly worked in the shadow of her husband, and here is a good example--a work that doesn't really measure up to the least-popular of Robert's fine trios.

But with Fanny--who worked in her famous brother's shadow throughout her composing career, was discouraged by him from publishing her works, and only came to publish win the last year of her life--the story is different. Her Trio Op. 11 is a haunting work. Classical in structure and in feeling, it certainly has echoes of Felix's work, but it is much more characterful and individual than Clara's trio. The restless first movement in D minor is brightened by a noble, singing melody introduced by the cello; this theme oscillates between the major and minor key, so what brightness it lends is ambiguous. Altogether, the first movement is a dark, troubled affair that forms a wonderful aesthetic whole.

The second and third movements manage to lift the pall, the slow movement a lovely, nostalgic sort of dialogue among the instruments that does remind one of Felix in a similar vein. The third movement is another song without words, at a faster tempo, but Fanny should have sought a greater contrast here, and this is the weakest movement of the three.

The last movement returns to the drama of the first movement, opening with a slow, elegiac recitative for the piano that turns into the Allegro proper and returns throughout the movement. The Allegro is aggitated music as well with many emotional turns and twists that are always interesting to follow. The battle is clearly won as the Allegro theme turns to the major key at the end of the movement. And then, with all the skill of Schubert in his Trio No. 2, Fanny recalls the beautiful major-minor second melody of the first movement to cap the Allegro with a triumphant coda. Emotionally and musically, this is a satisfying conclusion to a distinguished work.

Tracks:

Molto Allegro Agitato
Andante Con Moto Tranquillo
Scherzo: Leggiero E Vivace
Finale: Allegro Assai Appassionato
Allegro Energico E Fuoco
Andante Espressivo
Scherzo: Molto Allegro Quasi Presto
Finale: Allegro Appassionato

Customer Reviews:

Lovely Mendelssohn Piano Trios.......2006-03-24

All too often, the music of Felix Mendelssohn (1809-- 1847) is treated dismissively as a sort of overly polished and bland specimen of Victorian romanticism. This CD of Mendelssohn's two piano trios should go a long way towards correcting this view. Mendelssohn's two piano trios are both in the minor key. They both are full of passion, lyricism, and intimacy. The works were written to be performed by capable amateur musicians in the intimacy of the home, a type of "hausmusik" that, alas, is not common today. But the trios are delightful to hear for the multitude of music lovers that, in our day, do not play or have the opportunity to play. The music is fully accessible and will appeal to those coming for the first time to chamber music as well as to experienced listeners.

The trios are performed by the Gould Piano Trio, an ensemble consisting of three young English musicians: Lucy Gould, Violin, Martin Storey, cello, and Benjamin Firth, piano. The performance is exquisite, with great expression and musicianship both in ensemble and in solo passages. The disk has received substantial critical acclaim.

Mendelssohn's first piano trio in D minor opus 49 dates from 1837 while the second piano trio in C minor opus 66 dates from 1845. Each work is in four movements. Both trios have extended and brilliant piano parts (I am a pianist at heart.) while the first trio spotlights the cello considerably more that does the second. There are many similarities between the two trios, but each has a voice of its own.

The first movement of the D minor features two melancholy and lyrical themes, each of which is stated initially by the cello. The opening movement of the C minor trio opens with a dark arpeggio passage for the piano and continues with a pleading, passionate theme first stated in the violin. The opening movements of both works include large minor-key climaxes, big chordal passages for the piano, and passionate endings.

Each trio has a lovely, lyrical slow movement which begins with a lengthy piano solo -- that of the C minor trio is rather the more introspective. In both trios, the cello and violin complement the piano and give the slow movements warm flowing characters contrasting to the outbursts in the opening movements.

Both trios include a light, quickly-paced scherzo of a type unique to Mendelssohn. The D minor begins with quick, repeated passages for the ensemble which develop into a brief, energetic middle section and which return in a quiet, light and energetic close. The scherzo of its companion features an endlessly spinning figuration in the piano accompanied by themes in the violin and cello. The movement includes long running light passagework for the piano and a soft pizzicato close in the strings.

The finales of both trios are rondos which open in the minor key, progress through a series of episodes with clangorous piano chordal writing and shimmering arpeggios and contrasting dramatic or lyrical passages for the cello and violin. Both finales work themselves at length into the major key and end on a tone of triumph.

This recording of Mendelsshon's piano trios is full of the intimacy and joy in music-making that characterize chamber music at its best.

Robin Friedman

Fabulous music and performances.......2004-09-19

Firstly, as a pianist, I'd like to register a protest vote: this piano trio is named after the violinist!

But the recording is a wonderful bargain. The whole recording is terrific, but the first trio is particularly outstanding.

I recommend this recording for seasoned lovers of trios, but also as a great way in for anyone who has not experienced piano trios before. I doubt if there is a more delightful composition or performance than the first Mendelssohn Piano Trio.

Highly recommended

Average customer rating:

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Manufacturer: Tria Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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Mendelssohn: Trios Op. 49 & 66

ASIN: B000MN6KR2
Release Date: 2006-12-01

Tracks:

Allegro moderato
Scherzo: Allegro molto
Elegia: Adagio
Finale: Allegro non troppo
Andante
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Allegro non troppo
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Allegretto

Product Description

9-track CD on Tria Records, 2006.

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Mendelssohn, Schumann: Trios in D minor

Manufacturer: Naxos
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Binding: Audio CD

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Release Date: 2007-08-14

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1. Pno Trio in d, Op.49: Molto Allegro Agitato
2. Pno Trio in d, Op.49: Andante Con Moto Tranquillo
3. Pno Trio in d, Op.49: Scherzo. Leggiero E Vivace
4. Pno Trio in d, Op.49: Finale. Allegro Assai Appassionato
5. Pno Trio in c, Op.66: Allegro Energico E Con Fuoco
6. Pno Trio in c, Op.66: Andante Espressivo
7. Pno Trio in c, Op.66: Scherzo. Molto Allegro Quasi Presto
8. Pno Trio in c, Op.66: Finale. Allegro Appassionato