Since the foundation
of PentaTone Classics in 2001, their
enterprising programming; appealing
contemporary presentations; consistently
high quality performances and state
of the art recordings have been nothing
short of astonishing. I look forward
enthusiastically to each of their stylish
new releases and this hybrid Super Audio
CD of Mendelssohn’s two Piano Trios
was no exception. After a check of the
accompanying marketing information it
seems that this disc has already been
selected as a Gramophone ‘Editor’s Choice’
and the recipient of a Diapason d'Or
award.
PentaTone’s choice
of performers to play on this release
is another delight to savour. No starchy,
wobbly, out of tune players just going
through the motions here. The trio comprises
young, highly enthusiastic and greatly
talented players. None of them is a
full time chamber musician as they each
apportion their careers as concert soloists.
Julia Fischer and Daniel Müller-Schott
have been especially successful at creating
high profile reputations for themselves
on the concert platform and in the recording
studio. On the evidence of these performances
the trio can be ranked alongside the
finest young chamber music performers
on the international stage, most notably:
the Belcea Quartet; the Henschel Quartet;
the Gould Piano Trio; the Pacifica Quartet;
the Skampa Quartet and the trio of Renaud
Capuçon, Gautier Capuçon
and Frank Braley.
Mendelssohn found it
difficult to reconcile the constraints
of the Classical tradition of the 18th
century with his own genial Romantic
sensitivity. This conflict in his artistic
temperament didn’t prevent him from
writing two of the finest trios. These
scores can stand comparison with Beethoven’s
finest Piano Trios in D major
‘The Ghost’ and B flat
major ‘Archduke’ that he
wrote between 1808-11; Schubert’s B
flat and E flat Piano Trios from
1828; Schumann’s three Piano
Trios composed 1847-51 and Brahms’s
Piano Trios from 1854-86.
In 1832, when he was
23, Mendelssohn wrote to his sister
Fanny stating that, "I should
like to compose a couple of good trios."
Not long after his marriage to Cécile
Jeanrenaud, Mendelssohn did finally
compose his two Piano Trios,
the first in 1839 and the second in
1845.
The Piano Trio No.
1 in D minor, Op. 49 was composed
across the cities of Leipzig and in
Frankfurt. The D minor score
was an immediate success and has
proved to be one of his most perennially
popular scores. Mendelssohn’s friend
Ferdinand Hiller stated, "I
was tremendously impressed with the
fire and spirit, the flow and, in short,
the mastery to be heard in every bar."
Cast in well balanced proportions
the joyous and exuberant four movement
work is exquisite and remains the most
admired of Mendelssohn’s two Piano
Trios. It has an abundance
of charm and appeal that has maintained
its eminent status in the chamber music
repertoire. The part for the piano is
more prominent than the more discrete
involvement of the violin and cello.
In the opening movement
Molto allegro agitato of the
D minor score the clarity
and warmth offered by the players is
immediately apparent. I was highly
impressed with their reading of the
second movement Andante. The
trio are expressive, responsive and
controlled in this delightful Song
Without Words and I especially enjoyed
the way they slowed the music down at
5:22 (track 2) to create a most sublime
episode. The vibrant and darting playing
from the trio in the demanding and sparkling
third movement scherzo, with
John Gilad’s fingers just dancing across
the keyboard, provides a chapter to
savour. In the final movement Rondo
marked Allegro assai appassionato
the adroit and incisive players
are thrilling in Mendelssohn’s highly
emotional dramatics.
The Piano Trio No.
2 in C minor, Op. 66 was
composed in 1845 in Frankfurt and dedicated
to the composer Louis Spohr. At this
time in Mendelssohn’s life his already
delicate health was deteriorating and
he was experiencing an overwhelming
strain of dividing his time between
his responsibilities in Berlin, Leipzig
and London. In addition he was still
grieving over the death of his father
and his mother’s fragile health was
cause for concern. Mendelssohn was bedridden
when he commenced the C minor score
and it is no surprise to discover that
the work, over extended stretches, sounds
like a musical account of those extremely
difficult days. The author of the PentaTone
booklet notes Hans-Dieter Grünefeld
(translated by Fiona J. Stroker-Gale)
writes that "Scepticism is the
mood of the Piano Trio in C minor."
In many ways the C minor score
is superior to its predecessor although
the delights do not reveal themselves
as easily.
The trio perform the
first movement of the C minor
work with veritable panache and
vitality. The darker tones behind the
calm exterior of the Andante espressivo
movement are adeptly revealed by
the trio and their progress towards
the gently lilting finish is an exquisite
achievement. The trio’s youthful exuberance
in the energetic and intricate third
movement Scherzo is always under
complete control. The Finale,
allegro appassionato is conveyed
with a special blend of joy and affection
by the players. The agitated vigour
that culminates the score is communicated
with an exultant air.
The competition in
the Mendelssohn Piano Trios is
fierce. One of the finest alternative
recordings, for the controlled energy
and judicious selection of dynamic contrasts,
is that from the Gould Piano Trio, recorded
in Potton Hall, Suffolk in 2000 on Naxos
8.555063. The outstanding Gould Trio
is an improving ensemble that I have
seen several times and since this Naxos
recording they have now engaged the
services of cellist Alice Neary. In
recital the Goulds provide a consistently
high level of performance. A month ago
I attended one of their recitals at
Kendal, Cumbria and once again their
standard of performance was exceptional.
In addition, I highly rate the award
winning readings from the Florestan
Trio on Hyperion CDA67485. Recorded
in the Henry Wood Hall, London in 2003,
the Guardian reviewer was accurate with
his description, "The Florestans
keep textures light and transparent.
Both performances are models of Mendelssohn
interpretation."
Superb readings of
these often underrated Mendelssohn scores.
Their security of ensemble is breathtaking
and one can detect a compelling sense
of enjoyment from the players. These
are assured and enchanting interpretations
that provide a wide spectrum of brilliant
colours. I believe that these performances
surpass the best of the available versions.
I played this on my standard units and
found the closely recorded sound quality
to be crystal clear, warm and well balanced.
PentaTone have provided
a smart contemporary presentation, interesting
and detailed annotation, excellent sonics
together with superb performances. What
more could one ask. This is certainly
a disc to dash out and purchase.
Michael Cookson
Julia Fischer (violin); Jonathan Gilad (piano);
Daniel Müller-Schott (cello)
PENTATONE
CLASSICS SACD PTC 5186 085 [59:04] 
for
details
