Search - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Vladimir Ashkenazy :: Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50

Let's be fair!

half | Diamond Bar, CA United States | 05/13/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I am no fan of the classical "super-stars", but I feel that Melvyn M Sobel's review is being deliberately unfair or possibly just misguided. Yes, the sound is far from optimal, the performers do sound somewhat like they are sitting at opposite ends of the room, and the recording level is uncomfortably low, which forces the listener to turn the volume way up, which can produce a distorted sound on many home stereo systems. However, this the recording engineer's and mixing engineer's fault, not the performers. (Actually EMI has a large number of such recordings).



In fact, all three performers do a fantastic job of ensemble playing. They chose a sweet and sappy interpretation with the occasional overly-slow tempo, but they fully supported each other (musically) in that choice. One could prefer a different interpretation, but for the chosen interpretation, this is as well done as one could expect. I did not find a single instance of conflicting phrasing or expression in the entire recording.



That said, this is not my favorite recording of the Trio; however, a fairer review would be 3 stars."

Riveting Performance

G. Barkley | Indiana | 07/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't see how any performance of this great work could be better than this one. Ashkenazy, Perlman and Harrell are totally involved with every measure of the music. Their intensity never flags. Near the end of the piece, when the main theme of the first movement returns, the excitement level is at a fever pitch. A very moving, absolutely riveting performance!"