 |
|
| 
alternatively
CD:
MDT
AmazonUK
AmazonUS
|
Franz Peter SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Piano Trio No. 1 in B flat, D898 (39:19)
Piano Trio No. 2 in E flat, D929 (43:27)
Beaux Arts Trio
rec. 13 July 1987 (D898), 6 September 1977 (D929), Signet Library, Edinburgh
Picture format 4:3, NTSC; Sound format LPCM mono; Region Code 0 (Worldwide).
ICA CLASSICS ICAD 5010  [81:00] 
|
|
|
One has to be tolerant of the sub-par quality of historic recordings.
There are many listeners and collectors who search out such
recordings to hear great musicians who performed, in many cases,
before the age of stereo. This is a vibrant market, and restorations
are often made of very old recordings that shimmer with brilliant
sound; in some cases, they can sound flat and lifeless.
This is the case with this DVD of the Beaux Arts Trio playing
Schubert’s magnificent piano trios. Recorded on two dates -
in 1977 and 1987 - the Beaux Arts seem well motivated to give
a fine performance, and their playing is indeed energetic when
necessary, and emotive when appropriate. However, the sound
quality of both these recordings is disappointing. Granted,
when watching this DVD, you experience this music as people
did when it was first broadcast on the BBC in 1978 and 1987.
Actually, since your DVD player and home theater system have
better sound than a tinny TV set, it’s certainly better. Nevertheless,
it is frustrating to have to put up with the lack of definition
of these recordings.
The two trios were filmed in a cavernous hall in the Signet
Library in Edinburgh. Much of the problem with the sound seems
to come from this choice of venue. The instruments are poorly
miked - at best, I make out one microphone hanging very high
above them, but none in front, which is where the sound goes.
While the 1987 recording sounds better than the 1977 one, the
difference is marginal. Why they chose this overly spacious,
hard-to-make room in which to film is beyond me; any normal
sized space would have been much easier to work with.
The quality of the films themselves is variable. The 1987 recording
has aged better, as is to be expected, and the direction and
camera angles are more varied. A bit of fuzziness in the image
is less of a problem than the poor sound, though, which, through
an amplifier has no life, and through headphones is even worse.
Fans of the Beaux Arts Trio may still want to view and hear
this DVD to see this fine trio perform. But unless you are a
serious fan of this ensemble, I would suggest looking elsewhere
for the music itself. Which, by the way, may be some of the
finest chamber music of the 19th century.
Kirk McElhearn
|
|
