Shostakovich: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2; Seven Romances

Dmitry Shostakovich (Composer), Beaux Arts Trio (Performer), Joan Rodgers (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Beaux Arts Trio, Joan Rodgers
• Composer: Dmitry Shostakovich
• Audio CD (January 10, 2006)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Classics
• ASIN: B000BMGFBK
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #44,690 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Piano Trio No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 8

2. Piano Trio No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 67

3. Seven Romances on Verses by Alexander Blok, Op. 127*

Editorial Reviews

The C Minor Piano Trio was composed in 1923 when Shostakovich was 17 years old and the most brilliant student at the Petrograd Conservatory. Shostakovich tried to avoid the sound of 19th-century piano trios and to create original music for a post-Revolutionary society.

The E Minor Piano Trio begun in 1943 immediately after Shostakovich had completed his 7th and 8th symphonies. The finale is grim and disturbing, using Jewish idioms as symbols of oppression and victimhood. The ending is still, like a mass grave.

In the final work, Seven Romances on Verses by Alexander Blok, the first three songs are accompanied by solo instruments, the next three by duets, and the last song by all three instruments playing together. In this recording the soloist is Joan Rodgers, one of Britain’s best-loved singers.

The Beaux Arts Trio celebrated a highly successful 50th Anniversary Season in 2004-2005. Pianist and founding member Menahem Pressler and his colleagues, violinist Daniel Hope and cellist Antonio Meneses, continue to ignite overwhelming enthusiasm from audiences around the world.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Shostakovich recital, February 23, 2006

By 

Bryan Donaldson - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shostakovich: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2; Seven Romances (Audio CD)

This is an excellent new release from the Beaux Arts Trio. Shostakovich's early and rarely heard Piano Trio #1 was written at age 17 while the composer was still a student. Extremely accessible and enjoyable, the music shows the composer's trademark wit and satire with none of the crushing emotional distress that imbues nearly every one of his mature masterpieces. The Piano Trio #2 is among Shostakovich's most anguished works. The intensity of Shostakovich's own 1946 recording with Oistrakh and Sadlo (essential listening despite the gritty sound quality) derives in large part from its fury and hysteria. This new Beaux Arts Trio recording approaches the work differently, adopting slightly more deliberate tempos that emphasize the gravity and despair of the occasion. There is less frenzy but more exploration of Shostakovich's wide range of dark shadows, and the drama is chillingly sinister. Listeners familiar with the Beaux Arts Trio will not be surprised by the superlative level of musicianship evidenced here. The players' individual contributions could easily be extolled at length, but the real joy of the group-in concert and on record-is the unbeatable sense of ensemble. The playing is inspired, organic, and intuitive from the first bar, but listen especially to the ominous piano chords in the Largo or the impassioned string duet in the central section of the finale (starting around 5'35). The Seven Romances are haunting and sparsely written, with extensive solo passages for each instrument. Joan Rodgers' singing elegantly conveys the work's desolation and sense of mystery. The whole disc is heartily recommended for the quality playing, choice of repertoire, and clarity of sound.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Newest Beaux Arts Trio, July 5, 2008

By 

Frank Benson "corgiman" (South Windsor, CT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shostakovich: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2; Seven Romances (Audio CD)

This newest incarnation of the Beaux Arts Trio does an excellent job with these trios. To me, the performance is only slightly bettered by the older recording with Greenhouse and Cohen. This may be because of my love for the Greenhouse cello sound. It certainly doesn't hurt to have both recordings and Pressler's performance in both is amazing.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a great effort, May 17, 2008

By 

Ray Barnes (Surrey, British Columbia Canada) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shostakovich: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2; Seven Romances (Audio CD)

I have been fortunate to hear the Beaux Arts Trio perform this music live as well as own this recording. Among chamber music ensembles, they have few peers and no superiors. These performances are a complete success individually and collectively. The violinist Daniel Hope rose beautifully to the challenge in these works, among the most taxing ever written in the Trio literature. His colleagues are brilliant too. The sound, documentation, and vocal contribution are excellent too. A wonderful CD.