COMPOSERS: Beethoven
LABELS: Philips
WORKS: Piano Trios
PERFORMER: Beaux Arts Trio
CATALOGUE NO: 438 948-2 ADD (1965)
The original members of the legendary Beaux Arts Trio had been together for a decade when they first recorded Beethoven’s trios. Daniel Guilet’s violin and Bernard Greenhouse’s cello blend in a highly civilised way throughout, and Menahem Pressler’s nimble fingerwork is, as ever, the guiding spirit behind a string of effortlessly aristocratic performances. Pulse is always flexible, and the players thrive on the humour in movements such as the Archduke’s Scherzo and the Kakadu Variations.
With first-rate sound and nearly four hours of music, this is one of the bargains of the year. Stephen Maddock