Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Adagio D897 "Notturno" (1827) [8:23]
Piano Trio No.2 in E-flat, Op.100, D929 (1827) [50:00]
Trio Hamlet
rec. 2018, Hilversum, Holland
CHANNEL CLASSICS CCS41719 [58:29]
The Trio Hamlet consists of three fine musicians - Paolo Giacometti (piano), Candida Thompson (violin), Xenia Jankovic (cello) - who in their performances and recordings play with instruments of the period. So far, they’ve recorded trios by Beethoven and Mendelssohn on their first two CDs. Now they turn to one of the peaks of the piano trio repertoire: Schubert’s second; there’s also a delightful extra. One aspect that an extract on BBC Radio 3 CD Review made clear, is that Paolo Giacometti uses a Conrad Graf piano, made in Vienna in around 1826 (Edwin Beunk collection). Accordingly the sound has a slightly different timbre from established recordings by the Beaux Arts Trio on Philips who left us two engaging performances. The fine violinist Candida Thompson leads the Amsterdam Sinfonietta whose recording of the Tchaikovsky and Arensky serenades I very much enjoyed. That was also on Channel Classics.
Sensibly, the present CD starts with the Notturno which is generally believed originally to have been written as a movement of the more optimistic Piano Trio in B flat major, D898, not, as stated in the notes, the piano trio on this disc. It was discovered by Diabelli, of ‘Variations’ fame, in 1844, after being previously discarded like so much of Schubert. I’ve loved the piece for its tranquil, sombre melancholy. It receives a sublime rendition here and shares a dark feel similar to the much more famous String Quintet D956. I found the instruments blended very well and there was none of the roughness that older instruments sometimes have. It’s good that a work like this has been recorded so often. Like the Quartettsatz, it would make a great start to a concert.
Schubert’s second Piano Trio D929 was written under the shadow of the recently deceased Beethoven but is clearly the work of the more Romantic and considerably younger Schubert. Unlike D898, which has a triumphant beginning, this score is darker and yet the first movement flows with determination underneath an air of desolation. The Trio Hamlet play very much as one and convey the music confidently. For many listeners the Andante con moto with its sense of foreboding is the key movement. It was used to great effect in Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece “Barry Lyndon” and, like some of Schubert’s works, is of “heavenly length”. The notes by Clemins Romijn point out that the theme is based on a Swedish folk song “Se solen sjonker” (“The Sun has set”). What these musicians achieve here is felicitous and provides a glint of light in the dark shadows. The organic flow is palpable and I find it very moving, as are most of Schubert’s late works; whether he had any idea that he had less than a year to live, I don’t know but there is great unease here.
The third movement Scherzando may owe something to the “founder” of the piano trio, Haydn but I also detect some traces from Beethoven’s Archduke. Despite its title the mood only lightens slightly and again I’m very committed to the performance. The delightful Allegro Moderato starts off with the tripping piano and leads to a bridal dance with a splendid tune passed from fiddle to cello. The change in atmosphere is very apparent, but then the darker Andante theme returns before the players bring the work to a splendid conclusion.
This is my first exposure to Trio Hamlet but I consider this recording a triumphant success. I will certainly explore their previous CDs and hope they record the other Schubert trio.
David R Dunsmore
