One of the most excellent Dvorak
blurrulz@hotmail.com | Seoul, Korea | 01/03/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am really sad that Young-Uck Kim(Korean-American Violinist) doesn't like recording. It is a great loss that his recordings are so rare since he may be one of the greatest violinists alive. In this recording, Kim interepretes Dvorak as if he is Bohemian. So fascinating and beautiful. Yo-Yo Ma is not at his finest here though."
Bohemian Soul
blurrulz@hotmail.com | Seoul, Korea | 11/06/1998
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is the most exquisite Dvorak Trio I've ever listened to. Above all, Yong-Uck Kim's violin is delicate, emotional and graceful. Yoyo Ma is not showing his everything in this recording though."
The Op. 65 trio will be a great discovery for many listeners
Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 06/10/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Except for a handful of works, Dvorak's chamber music output goes ignored on the concert stage. A memorable nickname always helps, as with the 'Dumky' trio Op. 90, but I agree with David Hurwitz that the earlier, but still very mature, Op. 65 is a greater, more exciting and engaging work. (Few would agree with him that it stands ahead of Brahms's three piano trios as the greatest written since Beethoven.) Ax, Kim, and Ma give their all to Op. 65, attacking it with exuberance and fire. Dvorak supplies plentiful melodies, and the result is a wonderful discovery.
The "Dumky" trio is a more reserved work, with more slow movements than fast. Here, for some reason, Ax and company lose their way a bit. They play with too much reserve and delicacy. Their 'Dumky' is one long rumination, nuanced to the point of tiresomeness. Others may like this approach better than I do--all three musicians are masters of their craft, after all--but I will keep this CD mostly for the earlier work. Sony's digital recording from 1988 could be much better. It sounds murky and harsh, especially at loud dynamics, and the piano is shallow and clangy. Your ears just have to adjust."