Customer Reviews

Mendelssohn: Trio No. 1; Dvorák: Dumky Trio

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The Beaux Arts Trio, certainly the most distinguished American piano trio ever, was formed in 1955. During all that time pianist Menahem Pressler has been the pianist, and what a pianist he has been; the string players have come and gone (although violinist Daniel Guilet and cellist Bernard Greenhouse were very long-time members) and yet Pressler remains. He is now in his 82nd year and if anything is playing better than ever. His relatively new partners are violinist Daniel Hope and cellist Antonio Meneses, each with distinguished careers prior to joining the Beaux Arts. Their immediate predecessors, if memory serves, were violinist Young-Uck Kim and cellist Peter Wiley. The Beaux Arts had previously recorded both these trios and beautifully, but these new recordings have a brio and drama somewhat lacking not only in their earlier recording but also in most recordings by other groups. Of course these standard trios - the Dvorák 'Dumky' and the Mendelssohn D Minor - are thrice familiar to chamber-music enthusiasts. I can't count how many times I've heard each of them in concert and on record. But these performances have something new to say, amazingly enough. The primary adjective I'd apply is 'dramatic' or perhaps 'primal.' It is easy to play particularly the Mendelssohn as if it came out of a music box. Not so here. This is sweeping, dramatic music in the Beaux Arts' hands. And the 'Dumky,' with its Slavic melancholy also has a raw edge to it that really adds quite a bit to the overall effect.

I would recommend these performances to newcomers and veteran music-lovers alike. They are keepers.

TT=67 mins.

Scott Morrison

In the Beaux Arts Trio's farewell performance in Vancouver BC on April 15, 2008, their final encore was from the Dumky Trio. It seems this ensemble has this music in their blood, and play it almost as if they has written it themselves.

Both trios on this CD, I believe the first release of the Trio in its current (and final) form, are played impeccably. I found the Dvorak having a distinctly positive rhythmic lift, not unlike his symphonies and orchestral tone-poems. The sound is very good, and the notes are well written. Like their Shostakovich disc, this one is first class.