Search - Schumann, Schubert, Rubinstein :: Trios

Authoritative and highly lyrical playing, sometimes a bit st

Discophage | France | 09/10/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Artur Rubinstein is not a name one naturally associates with Schubert. Yet, the Polish pianist's contribution to this recording of Schubert's great piano trio opus 99, recorded in 1974 with Henryk Szeryng and Pierre Fournier, is truly outstanding: his playing has authority, crispness and much digital imagination, while never overpowering his partners. Along with the gorgeous string tone from Szeryng and Fournier and fine stereo definition, this makes for a worthy Schubert trio, with a first movement that doesn't dash along but is really true to Schubert's "Allegro moderato" indication, and a restrained but flowing and very lyrical "Andante un poco mosso". What prevents it from being an all-time standard is the rather moderate tempos adopted both for the Scherzo and the Finale. Mind you, these are valid and musically convincing approaches in their own way, imparting the music an easy-going bonhomie reminiscent of the "Trout" quintet, but they do not seem to be exactly what Schubert wrote here: respectively "Allegro" and "Allegro vivace". Istomin-Stern-Rose in their landmark recording from 1964 (to say nothing of Cortot-Thibaud-Casals in 1926) are closer to the mark here.



RCA has added the weighty bonus of Schumann's trio opus 63, originally published with the Brahms trios in 1972. There is much value for money on this disc.

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Powerful but not charming

HB | Fort Mill, SC | 04/23/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Three legendary musicians play on this recording of two great piano trios. The playing here has lots of passion but little charm, especially in the Schubert. The tempos are on the slow side which I find to be annoying and there is way too much portamento by the two string players. If I did not know the music, I might think the Schubert was written by Brahms due to the heavily romantic style of the playing here. Schubert may have written some music in the romantic style but he still has to be classified as a classical era composer. Unless you are a big Rubinstein fan, I would choose the recordings by the Beaux Arts Trio for this music."