Search - Felix [1] Mendelssohn, Trio Fontenay, Wolf Harden :: Mendelssohn: Piano Trios 1 & 2 (Teldec)

More poetry needed

klavierspiel | TX, USA | 08/06/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Mendelssohn's two trios for piano, violin and cello have been mainstays of the literature for this combination since their composition. Thus there is no shortage of worthy performances on disc. In such company this recording by the Trio Fontenay, a German ensemble, does not really stand out. This is not to say their renditions can be faulted on a technical level, being accurate, polished and clear even at the fast tempi preferred by these artists. However, much of the music seems driven rather than elegant, with clangorous tone from the pianist, and a refusal to relax the tempo even at junctures where the music obviously calls for it. The few moments of rubato seem externally imposed rather than internally motivated. Good sound and occasional charming turns of phrase from the string players do not really compensate for these drawbacks, especially at full price. Venerable versions of these trios by such artists as Istomin/Stern/Rose, or the classic Heifetz/Rubinstein/Piatigorsky rendering of the D minor, still sound pretty good and are available on CD--I'd check them out first."