With
the complete Beethoven Piano Trios recorded, not to mention
numerous others, The Florestan Trio now have the six Mozart
ones under their belt as well. This recording of Piano Trios
numbers 1, 2 and 5 follows one made twelve months previously
of the remaining three. Whilst this is by no means the first
recording of these works, it is certainly up there with the
best of them.
The
piano trio genre was not Mozart’s most prolific area of composition,
probably for the simple reason that they didn’t earn him very
much money. It is likely therefore that they were intended for
private enjoyment. The first was written in 1776, whilst the
other five were all written in the last five years of Mozart’s
life. It is certainly interesting to compare Mozart’s early
attempt to the piano trio form with his later ones. The Divertimento
in B flat is effectively his first piano trio, though with
the cello doubling the bass of the piano almost throughout it
becomes a glorified violin sonata. However, as the works progress
the instruments take on a more interactive role as demonstrated
in K548 with their perfectly synchronized ornaments in the Allegro
and the delightful solos in the Andante cantabile.
The
Trio’s Mozart interpretations are really second to none. With
a delightful ‘classical’ approach their playing is light and
nimble, and never too weighty even when the music might suggest
it. Particularly in K548, they slip between light and heavy
naturally and seamlessly. The balance between the three instruments
is spot on throughout, which reflects not only the players’
astute and perfectly even-handed awareness of each other but
also the skill and sensitivity of the recording engineer.
The
Florestan Trio are no strangers to the recording stage, and
are collecting an enviable amount of excellent reviews. This
is another one to add to the treasury. Bravo!
Max Kenworthy