Dvorák - Complete Piano Trios

Antonin Dvorak (Composer), Beaux Arts Trio (Orchestra), Menahem Pressler (Performer), Isidore Cohen (Performer), Bernard Greenhouse (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Menahem Pressler, Isidore Cohen, Bernard Greenhouse
• Orchestra: Beaux Arts Trio
• Composer: Antonin Dvorak
• Audio CD (September 17, 1996)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Philips
• ASIN: B0000041F3
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #41,443 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

Dvorák composed four piano trios, and all of them are fine works. The very last, the so-called "Dumky" Trio, has eclipsed the others in popularity, which is a pity, particularly with respect to the Trio No. 3 in F minor. This work, composed at exactly the same time as the Seventh Symphony, is clearly the finest work of its type since Beethoven--and that includes the three trios of Brahms. Perfectly proportioned, emotionally intense, and chock full of incredible tunes, it grabs you from the first note and never lets you go. The Beaux Arts Trio performs all of this music with their customary musicality and expertise, and the "twofer" price in unbeatable. Now try that Trio No. 3--you'll be glad you did. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get it for the F Minor Trio with all its Soul-Touching Poignancy, January 24, 2008

By 

Robert Kirsch - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dvorák - Complete Piano Trios (Audio CD)

Dvorak is famous for the cheerful Czech rhythms that abound so persuasively in his Slavonic Dances of the 1870s. Yet most of these trios temper that cheerful side with a dramatic eloquence that borders on the mournful. Dvorak wrote his G minor trio shortly after the death of his newborn daughter, Josefina, and you can almost feel as if the desperate and frenetic energy in the Scherzo is Dvorak's attempt to bury his grief in the healing salve of his music.

This is not to say that these recordings are outwardly depressing - simply more pensive and meditative than some of his other works. The Dumky is a perfect example. The term Dumky comes from a Czech word roughly translated as "to ponder or brood", and the Dumky ably embodies that mood. The cello often leads with somber rumination before the other instruments join in.

The trio in F minor, however is easily the supernova among all these wonderful trio stars. Now there are many people who praise the Dumky with great gusto without saying a peep about the other trios. Sometimes I want to smack these people, and if you listen to the trio in F minor you'll know what I mean. If you listen you'll notice that the F minor trio is melodically much stronger than the Dumky and much more poignant. Of all the trios, this is the one that embeds itself in the psyche and won't let go.

All in all the primary reason to own this recording is for the lushly expressive F minor work. Additionally, those with a special fondness for the cello will find satisfaction here. Dvorak wrote what is arguably the best cello concerto of all time; but here in these trios, he engages the cello's strengths just as skillfully.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive Performances Of Dvorak's Piano Trios, December 7, 2001

By 

John Kwok (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dvorák - Complete Piano Trios (Audio CD)

This is yet another excellent compilation of the great recordings made by the Beaux Arts Trio when its lineup included Isidore Cohen as violinist and Bernard Greenhouse as cellist as well as pianist Menahem Pressler. These are lively, exciting performances replete with warmth and Slavic charm, gracefully played by these exceptional musicians. Of course, the highlight is their exquisite performance of the "Dumky" trio, but the others are equally compelling. This is one of the highlights of my CD collection of Dvorak's music; it should be yours too.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic Recordings!, December 15, 2005

By 

music fan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dvorák - Complete Piano Trios (Audio CD)

The beaux arts' performances of these trios, like most recordings of their golden period, wih Cohen and Greenhouse, set a benchmark, for both the technical as well as the emotional depth in the interpritation of chamber music... Their tension and beauty, particularly of Isidore Cohen's distinctive tone, thrills the heart, as much as the ear.