Anton ARENSKY (1861-1906)
Piano Trio No 1 in D minor, Op 32 (1894) [28:37]
Sergey TANEYEV (1856-1915)
Piano Trio in D major, Op 22 (1907) [40:13]
The Brahms Trio
Rec. 2017, Large Hall of the Moscow Conservatory
NAXOS 8.574115 [68:55]
This is the fourth volume of a series titled “History of the Russian Piano Trio”, but the first that has received a review on this site, so I felt that it was time to address that. Previous issues have included mostly rarities such as the Alaybyev and Pabst trios, with an occasional repertoire standard such as the Tchaikovsky. The two works included here would fit into a middle ground of works with some presence in the discography, especially the Arensky.
Despite its name, The Brahms Trio is comprised of three Russian performers – Natalia Rubinstein, piano, Nikolai Sachenko, violin and Kirill Rodin, cello. One would expect them to be attuned to the Russian sensibilities in these two works, but I’m afraid I don’t hear it. The Arensky lacks the intensity and romance of the best performances, such as those of the Beaux Arts Trio (Philips) and the Leonore Trio (Hyperion). By way of example, the opening to the second movement Scherzo is flat, bordering on leaden, and the middle slower section lacks the romantic feel of those other performances. Even the impassioned opening of the final movement wants for more dynamic variation. The performers play the notes well enough; there is none of the harshness in the violin’s timbre that crops up with some other players. However, while it would be unfair on the performers to say theirs was an uninvolved reading, it is certainly uninvolving for the listener, and not at all what I would have expected, or indeed wanted from this underappreciated work.
The Taneyev is a much harder nut to crack than the glorious Arensky, and I admit to not having a great love for it. At 40-plus minutes, it asks a lot of the listener’s attention, and I am yet to hear a performance that engages me for the duration. This one is certainly better played than a truly dire one I reviewed a few years ago. I remarked in that review that “Taneyev’s talents do not lie with melody” and I still hold to that opinion. The reserved nature of The Brahms Trio’s performances, on the evidence presented to me on this disc, here perhaps suits the Taneyev better, but I defy anyone other than a complete Taneyev obsessive to sit through the entire work without having their mind wander.
The sound quality is perfectly fine, and as I’ve already said, I am perfectly happy with Nikolai Sachenko’s violin sound. The notes are typical of the label, neither skimpy or comprehensive. I think it is admirable that Naxos and The Brahms Trio are undertaking this series which will be particularly valuable for the rarities, but for those works which already have a presence in the discography, such as these two, it will struggle for market space.
David Barker
