Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Piano Trio No. 5 in D major, Op. 70, No. 1 Ghost Trio (1808)
[27:57]
Piano Trio No. 6 in E flat major, Op. 70, No. 2 (1808) [29:58]
Piano Trio in B Flat Major, WoO 39 Allegretto (1812) [5:58]
Risto Lauriala (piano), Tero Latvala (violin), Marko Ylönen
(cello)
rec. 25-28 November 2010, Akustiikka, Ylivieska
ALBA ABCD340 [64:19]
Beautifully recorded in 5.0 SACD multichannel sound, this is the
first volume of an enticing prospect from the Alba label. There is no
shortage of recordings of this repertoire in the current market however, and
if we are looking at more recent recordings the two Op. 70 Trios are paired
on a Naxos CD (see review as ‘Bargain of the Month’), also
Volume 1 of a complete set. The Xyrion Trio makes a high-impact opening to
their Op. 70 No. 1, but the trio on this new Alba disc has the
measure of them for drama and transparent expressiveness. There is plenty of
punchy drive from the bass notes from the piano in the opening Allegro
vivace e con brio, and all of the breathless suspense you could want
from the strings.The ‘Ghost’ tremuli of the second
movement are a little more subtle in the piano with the Xyrion Trio, but
with the piano slightly lower in the recorded balance this is an easier
effect to carry off. The strings integrate better with the general sound
with the Alba recording, and the difficult passages with melodic features
over the moody piano are the better, and the more ‘ghostly’ for
it.
As ever I’m torn between versions, but ultimately I prefer the
trio on this Alba recording for their greater subtlety and marginally more
refined musicality. This might have something to do with the nicely
proportioned recording balance and pleasant acoustic within which the
musicians find themselves, but in any case these qualities carry through to
the second Trio Op. 70. Elegance of phrasing and accuracy of dynamics
amidst all of Beethoven’s intensity and dramatic plunges are carried
off with full expressive value - not with quite the romantic extroversion of
the trio with beloved combination of Barenboim, Du Pré and Zuckerman
on EMI, but perhaps that’s not quite what we’re looking for
these days. The Haydn Trio Vienna on Teldec/Warner Apex is also a big
favourite, but in this case it is the piano which is a bit too overwhelming
in terms of recorded balance. There are too many competitors to name,
including the venerable Beaux Arts Trio on Philips and the excellent
Florestan Trio on Hyperion, but the three musicians here can hold their own
even in the most august company.
What I like about these performances is their sense of grand scale
without exaggeration of gesture, the feeling of air and unhurried space
around the notes without any sense of dragging or lack of intensity or
momentum. The lyrical moments of the first movement of Op. 70 No. 2
can have tenderness and even fragility, but Beethoven’s highly charged
sense of edgy passion is never far away, and you sense this dramatic danger
in Lauriala/Latvala/Ylönen’s performance. There is a beautifully
sensitive touch in the Allegretto, and the confiding intimacy in
aspects of this movement are also strong in the conversational Allegretto
ma non troppo which follows. There is no lack of bustling excitement in
the Finale, and still with that sense of unhurried grandeur which is
so impressively effective.
The final track is the Piano Trio in B flat Major which
Beethoven wrote for Maximiliane Brentano in 1812. She was the 9 year old
daughter of Antonie Brentano, to whom he later dedicated the Diabelli
Variations. This is a charming movement, full of lyricism and open of
texture, and the performance here is admirably proportionate to the demands
of the music - not scaled-down in terms of expression, but given an entirely
appropriate gentleness of character.
This is a very fine first volume of a set which will be highly
collectable and competitive. The stereo mix is superb, but the SACD
advantage this release has as a recording is not to be sniffed at, with the
enhanced spatial sense a real bonus in a performance for which timing and
elegance of proportion is of the essence. All this trio needs to do is give
itself a collective name and we’ll be well on the way.
Dominy Clements
Highly competitive - beautifully paced and refined of expression.