Mozart: Complete Piano Trios

WA Mozart (Composer), Beaux Arts Trio (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Beaux Arts Trio
• Composer: WA Mozart
• Audio CD (April 11, 1995)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Philips
• ASIN: B0000041BU
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,076 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

76 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully played Mozart chamber music!, May 20, 2000

By 

Mike Powers "mkp51" (Woolwich, ME USA) - See all my reviews

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

This 2-CD set contains some of Mozart's loveliest chamber music. Originally recorded in 1967-1970, the Beaux Arts Trio, (then comprised of pianist Menahem Pressler, violinist Daniel Guilet, and cellist Bernard Greenhouse) play with great sensitivity and warmth . Mozart composed most his piano trios during the last five years of his life - from 1786 through 1788. Here we see him at "full stretch," with his chamber music style fully developed. The Beaux Arts do an admirable job of conveying the necessary atmosphere of intimacy and serenity, and at the same time great vitality, in their playing. Outer movements are at just the right tempo to give the music a joyful exuberance, and the slow movements convey a wonderful sense of peacefulness. Also included in this set is Mozart's famous clarinet trio, the "Kegelstett." Stephen Kovacevic (piano), Jack Brymer (clarinet), and Patrick Ireland (viola) play with a dynamic musicianship equal to that of the Beaux Arts Trio; as a result, the "Kegelstett" is just as impressive as the piano trios.

The CD sound quality is excellent, with a high degree of realism and immediacy. However, these analog recordings, originally mastered over thirty years ago, do have a bit thinner string timbre, which seems more prominent with the violin. Still, this detracts very little from an overall wonderful listening experience. Highly recommended!

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elegance, June 23, 2005

By 

Musicus (Oslo, Norway) - See all my reviews

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

These performances are wonderful, pure, relaxed and elegant. Mozart's Piano Trios are mostly mature works, still more easy listening and less expressive, less demanding than his "Haydn" quartets, most essential string quintets (K. 515, 516, 593), the piano/wind quintet (K 452), the piano quartet (K. 478) and the trio labelled "Divertimento" (K. 563). This makes it more difficult to explain what their charm consists in. Let me try with words like playful coolness, charming equanimity, happy serenity, light imperturbability, natural elegance, soothing purity or unruffled whiteness... Elegance is the keyword.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEAUX ARTS' MOZART MAKES THIS KITTY PURR!!! (SNOOKIE), May 5, 2003

By A Customer

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

I have had this recording for about five years, and have enjoyed it immensley. Recorded in the 1960's, it features the original personnel (Menahem Pressler, Piano - Daniel Guilet, Violin - Bernard Greenhouse, Cello).

The Beaux Arts Trio is just wonderful in this literature. Menahem Pressler's dynamic shading, articulation, and interactions with the other instruments are always "just right".

The sound of the recording itself is fine. Even though it was recorded in 1967, it was digitally remastered to cd.

I highly recommend this set. The Beaux Arts has been around for over 40 years. As a result, they have a lot of experience playing with each other, and it shows in this masterful compilation.