COMPOSERS: Hummel
LABELS: Meridian
WORKS: Trios in E flat, Opp 12 & 96; Trio in F, Op. 22; Trio in G, Op. 35
PERFORMER: Triangulus
CATALOGUE NO: CDE 84350
Hummel was a pupil of Mozart, Salieri and Haydn. The finest improviser of his day after Beethoven, he personified the Viennese Classical piano school at its crest, able to craft a good tune, turn a nice ornament and fashion elegant music – as is evident from these rarely-heard trios. Spanning a period from around 1803 to 1822, they are embodiments of charm, more Schubertian than Beethovenian in texture and idea, and free of the vapid note-spinning of Hummel the virtuoso. Dynamically reticent, Triangulus plays respectably but without much fire or fantasy: its modesty and ability is better suited to the music’s restraint than its agitation, vivacity or wit. Since when has Turkish/Russian parody sounded so polite? The dryish balance (the location is unspecified) recesses the piano and places the violin rather close. Ates Orga
Hummel: Trios in E flat, Opp 12 & 96; Trio in F, Op. 22; Trio in G, Op. 35
Hummel was a pupil of Mozart, Salieri and Haydn. The finest improviser of his day after Beethoven, he personified the Viennese Classical piano school at its crest, able to craft a good tune, turn a nice ornament and fashion elegant music – as is evident from these rarely-heard trios. Spanning a period from around 1803 to 1822, they are embodiments of charm, more Schubertian than Beethovenian in texture and idea, and free of the vapid note-spinning of Hummel the virtuoso.
Our rating
3
Published: January 20, 2012 at 2:40 pm