Piano Trios Nos 1&2
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