Customer Reviews

Brahms: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2, Opp. 8,87 (Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 72)

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I had an opportunity last month to perform the B major trio at the piano with a collegiate cellist and an ex-professional violinist, so I decided as part of my preparation I would listen to a recording. This is the one I chose. My first impressions were that it was beautiful but flawed; the more I listened to it, though, the more I appreciated the beautiful and heartfelt performances that these musicians, all renowned in their own right, managed to produce in 3 days of collaborative effort.

The quality that I disliked initially was that the ensemble (that is, the simple mechanical details of musicians playing together) came up a little bit short. Articulations don't always match. Fournier both rushes and drags the main theme of the 4th movement within one phrase (forcing the pianist to compensate, not that his part is difficult here), while Szeryng plays it straight to better effect. Rubinstein scrambles some of the triplets in the development section of the 1st movement, and there are some other places where he trips on the (very demanding) score. But to delve into these quibbles is to miss the positive qualities. The players balance each other expertly; in the same passage that Fournier scrambles rhythmically at the beginning of the fourth movement, he also makes the great decision to play so close to the bridge that it almost scratches -- this to give his big, burly instrument a more incisive kind of sound, which is naturally matched by the violin in the range it plays in afterwards. More attention to detail in the opening of the first movement, where the 'piu forte' is marked with a -very- prominent low F-sharp from the 'cello, which serves to make the piano sound both warmer and bolder. Or in certain spots of the finale, when Szeryng arches up to high notes and then slices into them, producing a heart-rending human wail. These very subtle details are remarkable in how economically, but effectively, they heighten the emotional impact of the music.

So far I have only covered the B major trio; the C major trio is a very different animal, more difficult technically for the performers but less problematic emotionally. Rubinstein et al. perform it with simplicity and restraint, but still generate the right kind of warmth, expansiveness, and lyrical sweep that makes Brahms distinct from his illustrious predecessors. The variation movement, which has foreshadowings of the late piano music from Opp. 116-119, shows Rubinstein's touch for Brahms at its very, very best.

This music is heavenly. I have other versions of this music but this CD has blown me away. Highly recommended. The remastering is perfect.

The Rubinstein's chamber music records are fascinating, Brahms with Guarneri more especially. I love the Trio Nr 1 recorded with Heifetz and Feurmann, but this recordings with Szeryng and Fournier are my favorite.

Aristocratic and gorgeous - I agree wholeheartedly!

Rubinstein made an earlier recording of the Trio #1 with Heifetz and Feurman. Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 24 Let me admit right off the bat that I am a Rubinstein admirer, though I am not a Heifitz admirer. Another reviewer has questioned "whether (Rubinstein) was up the the standard of the other two or whether the three mixed well is a different matter." The fact is he was, and they didn't. When Rubinstein played his humanity shone through. The playing may not have been perfect, but the musicianship most oftentimes was. In the case of Heifitz, the playing was perfect, but the humanity was lost. Sorry - but I listen to Heifitz, and all I hear is that stony countenance scrunched into the violin. It's joyless, technically perfect playing.

Hank Drake - amazon's premier Rubinstein reviewer - suggests that the earlier 1950 Brahms performance Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 24 is far superior to this 1972 performance with Szeryng and Fournier. Here I must respectfully disagree. In sheer musical terms - musicanship and tempi - I agree with him wholeheartedly. But I must say that I find the later performance to have more heart. True, it is not a young man's Brahms, in fact it sounds elegiac in character. But the warmth that is communicated transcends any of the quibbles one may have regarding the slight flaws in musicianship. The performance of the Brahms Trios are characterized by the warmth of the musicians' friendship, camaraderie, and heart - all of which are the essence of chamber music played on an "ad hoc" basis, whether in someones home or in the recording studio. One might call it aristocratic. I'd call it affectionate.

I highly recommend this disc, Vol 72 of the series - 5 stars both for performance and recording quality!

Brilliant. Colorful, emotional and extremely well produced Brahm's piano trios from fairly late in Rubinstein's life. You'll never know how old these recordings are just by listening. Rubinstein plays wonderfully fluid as always. This recording has taken over my life.

In general I find Rubinstein an aloof interpreter, to the point of emotional detachment, and he was admittedly a lazy pianist in his earlier years. But as he grew into advanced age --- he was 85 in 1972 when the Brahms Trio #1 was recorded -- he became more committed, it seems to me. Invigorated by younger colleagues when paired with the rising Guarneri Qt., or by the warm friendship of Fournier and Szeryng, he gave more of himself. I vastly admire their recording of Brahms's third piano trio, and this pairing is scarcely less beautiful. At the time the leading trio in the U.S. was Istomin-Stern-Rose, compared to which Rubinstein and company are a bit loose around the edges. But that's all to the good in Brahms, where discipline isn't nearly as important as romantic spirit.

I can't agree with an earlier comment that these are elegiac readings. The Allegro con brio of the first movement of the B-flat trio is livelier than with Istomin-Stern-Rose, in fact. The Scherzo's rhythmic pattern is set firmly rather than fleetingly, and the Adagio is profoundly felt. If that's what elegiac means, I can't quarrel. What I hear is three lifetimes of experience applied with real emotionality. Some listeners may quibble about the sonority. Szeryng and Fournier weren't powerful; their elegance comes off as restraint when they open Trio #2. Stern and Rose state the theme like a rousing fanfare. Where Rubinstein and friends excel is in the development sections, where they intertwine with real intimacy and finesse -- you won't hear the like from any trio today.

Finally, I must put in a word for ad hoc ensembles, meaning a clutch of soloists who don't belong to an established trio. Some critics miss the precision that comes from constant association, but I prefer the competitive quality of virtuosos outdoing one another even as they cooperate. In this case, the clear winner is Rubinstein, whose piano playing dominates and is never far from the spotlight. In all, a wonderful CD that has few rivals in the entire catalog. RCA's sound is clear but a bit muffled and boxy -- no great drawback.