Felix & Fanny Mendelssohn: Piano Trios
Piano Trios by Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn By Daniel Felsenfeld The Atlantis Trio gives a thoroughly exciting performance   and an additional explanatory CD that's equally informative. (insert CD cover here) Felix Mendelssohn: Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor, Op. 66 Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel: Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 11 The Atlantis Trio Jaap Schröder (violin) Enid Sutherland (cello) Penelope Crawford (fortepiano) Musica Omnia MO 0105 "Historically informed" Mendelssohn on period instruments, accompanied by an explanatory CD - it sounds like something only musicologists or audiophiles (that is, record nerds) can love. The Atlantis Trio's recording of Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn's piano trios, however, is anything but dull, pedantic or mannered: these are moving, forceful, and extremely well-thought-out renderings of two electrifying pieces of chamber music. The opening Allegro of Felix's Trio has roller-coaster-like intensity, and the group skillfully navigates its labyrinthine turns. They never miss a chance to storm the climaxes, emphasize the quick musical shifts or even infuse aching tension into their playing of the lilting and lyrical. Overall this performance is so stimulating that a lack of levity (more like unabated intensity) in moments like Felix's humorous scherzo is completely forgivable. They perform Fanny's lesser-known, but every bit as deft, trio with as much care and enthusiasm as they do Felix's repertoire staple, if not a bit more - the fact that this work is neglected gives them extra motivation. In this performance one can hear the ensemble at its best, with sensitive responses to one another (the strings as a unit react to the piano with all the subtlety and care that good chamber music playing ought to have), a real sense of purpose without being mannered and a willingness to enjoy the music together. If there were nothing on this record except Fanny's alluring (and almost sexy) finale it would still be worth having. The accompanying CD offers --Andante, August, 2001