Mendelssohn: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2, Opp. 49,66

Felix Mendelssohn (Composer), Yo-Yo Ma (Performer), Emanuel Ax (Performer), Itzhak Perlman (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, Itzhak Perlman
• Composer: Felix Mendelssohn
• Audio CD (February 2, 2010)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony Classics
• ASIN: B0030IIZ2O
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,825 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #27 in Music > Classical > Instruments > Keyboard
  • #51 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Classical (c.1770-1830) > Forms & Genres
  • #51 in Music > Classical > Chamber Music > By Period > Classical (c.1770-1830)

Track Listings

1. Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 49; I. Molto allegro e agitato

2. Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 49; II. Andante con moto tranquillo

3. Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 49; III. Scherzo: Leggiero e vivace

4. Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 49; IV. Finale: Allegro assai appassionato

5. Piano Trio No. 2 in C Minor Op. 66; I. Allegro energico e con fuoco

6. Piano Trio No. 2 in C Minor Op. 66; II. Andante espressivo

7. Piano Trio No. 2 in C Minor Op. 66; III. Scherzo: Molto allegro quasi presto

8. Piano Trio No. 2 in C Minor Op. 66; IV. Finale: Allegro appassionato

Editorial Reviews

To commemorate the Mendelssohn bicentennial in 2009, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, pianist Emanuel Ax, and violinist Itzhak Perlman collaborated together for the first time and recorded the Mendelssohn Piano Trios. This is the first chamber recording these three virtuosos have recorded together. Yo-Yo Ma is a world-renowned, multiple Grammy Award-winning cellist and is currently celebrating his 30th anniversary with Sony Masterworks.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Suave, experienced, relaxed musicianship from three old pros, February 2, 2010

By 

Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mendelssohn: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2, Opp. 49,66 (Audio CD)

This album to commemorate Mendelssohn's bicentennial has shown up a little past 2009, but it's a welcome return to chamber music by three stars in the classical world. Of the major labels, Sony BMG seems to have given up on chamber music almost completely. Thank goodness we have an archive of recordings from the era when Yo-Yo Ma and Isaac Stern, often in the company of Emanuel Ax, produced an outpouring of Brahms CDs that remain the best modern renditions. Perlman has made fewer appearances in chamber music since his early days but is, of course, accomplished in his own right.

Here they compete with the ghost of Stern, whose all but definitive account of the two Mendelssohn Piano Trios with partners Leonard Rose and Eugene Istomin derives from an even earlier era before he met Ma. As befits the performers' gray hair, these new recordings are seasoned and relaxed. The whirlwind Scherzo in Trio no. 1 won't stir up any dust; the opening Molto allegro e agitato is far from being either very fast or agitated. Is it right to turn the finale, marked "very fast" and "passionate," into something more civilized? The same experienced, suave restraint hovers over Trio no. 2 as well. Comparisons with Istomin-Stern-Rose or the trio led by Julia Fischer on PentaTone, not to mention the ultra-energized Martha Argerich and Friends (EMI), reveal how this music sounds when played with more vitality. On the other hand, there's no denying that the playing here bespeaks Cadillac musicianship, even if it rarely gets out of first gear

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A musical delight, April 8, 2010

By 

Mary E. White (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Mendelssohn: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2, Opp. 49,66 (Audio CD)

The combination of Mendelssohn's music and a trio of marvelous performers to play it is unbeatable. All three members of the trio are skilled solo musicians. In this recording Emanuel Ax, Itzhak Perlman, and Yo-Yo Ma prove beyond a doubt that they are magnificent ensemble players as well.

Mendelssohn and spring seem to go together. Even in the middle of a bitterly cold winter or a hot and humid summer, this recording sings of spring. The melodies, traded back and forth between instruments, are so beautiful that the listener is moved to hum along in his/her mind and heart.

There is no fighting for supremacy in this recording. The musicians honor the flow of the music and the sensitivity required by it. The melodies flow seamlessly from cello to violin to piano and back again. All in all, this is a magnificent recording of a superlative performance.

14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Romantic Trios with Grace and Joy, February 8, 2010

By 

Dr. Debra Jan Bibel "World Music Explorer" (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Mendelssohn: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2, Opp. 49,66 (Audio CD)

**** 1/2. Compared to my CD of the solid, direct Beaux Arts Trio, and remembrances of the scholarly but energetic Stern-Istomin-Rose group, the classical superstars of this new album perform the Mendelssohn works with emphasis on grace and joy. The sweet and lyrical Op. 49, comes off smoothly but without inner depth; the more serious, classical Op. 66 offers thought and emotional gravitas. Perlman and Ma were mentored by Stern and both play with lightness and fluidity. There is no roughness or edginess to their sound; thus, their approach is fitting for the early romantic Mendelssohn. Do not expect a wide range of temperaments; these compositions are andante and allegro, but the final two movements of the second trio are vigorous and bright. I wonder if this senior trio will go on to other issues of, for example, the Schubert, Schumann, and Dvorak trios. Or perhaps they will venture to contempory trios. I am pleased with this particular recording and recommend these light, popular pieces for those whose interest in chamber work is still developing.