Korngold/Zemlinsky Piano Trios
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Alexander von Zemlinsky, Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Label: Philips
Magazine Review Date: 6/1994
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 61
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: 434 072-2PH
Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Piano Trio |
Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Composer
Beaux Arts Trio Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Composer |
Trio for Clarinet/Viola, Cello and Piano |
Alexander von Zemlinsky, Composer
Alexander von Zemlinsky, Composer Beaux Arts Trio |
Author: Michael Stewart
Goodness, the Korngold Piano Trio is proving a very popular choice for recording artists these days; this arrival brings the total listed in the current Classical Catalogue to no less than four! But then who can blame any self-respecting trio for wanting to record such an attractive, lyrical and inventive work as this. The trouble is, however, that despite such a wide choice on offer I am not sure that any of the recordings (and that includes the present issue) successfully reveal the work in its full glory, or indeed capture the real essence of Korngold's style.
The Beaux Arts Trio undoubtedly produce some gorgeous sounds and first-class playing, but to my mind their overall interpretation is far too leisurely and loosely paced, and this is a quality that also affects (though to a lesser degree) the Gobel Trio's otherwise fine performance on Etcetera. True, I did choose the latter as my overall recommendation in my Korngold ''Gramophone Collection'' (4/93), but in a reappraisal of the selected comparisons for this review, I have constantly found myself returning to the Pacific Arts Trio performance on the Delos label, whose tempos throughout the work seem to me much closer to the ideal. A comparison of overall timings reveals a difference of 6'58'' between the Beaux Arts Trio and the faster paced Pacific Arts Trio, of which 3'21'' are knocked off the first movement and 2'08'' in the Largetto. As a consequence the Pacific Arts Trio give the work a greater sense of forward impetus and structural cohesion—attributes which the work is generally accused of lacking. However, I should add that whilst their interpretation seems to me more compelling and true, neither the quality of playing nor recorded sound matches that of the Beaux Arts Trio's recording.
The early Zemlinsky Trio, by contrast, is played with exactly the right degree of momentum and passion, especially in the more dramatic, impetuous outer movements. Like myself, most listeners will probably be more familiar with the Trio in its original version for clarinet, piano and cello (of which at least three recordings exist), but I would certainly agree with Max Harrison in his booklet-notes that the present version (made by Zemlinsky himself) is far more effective due to the lighter, more homogeneous texture produced by the re-scoring. This is best appreciated in the more impassioned passages where in the original the clarinet had a tendency to become somewhat smothered by the pianist's frequent Brahmsian outbursts. Though not what one would describe as fully-fledged or essential Zemlinsky it is certainly an attractive work and well worth investigating, especially in such a fine performance as this. The recorded sound is exceptionally mellow and natural, and the multilingual among you may be interested to know that Philips have commissioned no fewer than four separate essays for the booklet—one for each language.'
The Beaux Arts Trio undoubtedly produce some gorgeous sounds and first-class playing, but to my mind their overall interpretation is far too leisurely and loosely paced, and this is a quality that also affects (though to a lesser degree) the Gobel Trio's otherwise fine performance on Etcetera. True, I did choose the latter as my overall recommendation in my Korngold ''Gramophone Collection'' (4/93), but in a reappraisal of the selected comparisons for this review, I have constantly found myself returning to the Pacific Arts Trio performance on the Delos label, whose tempos throughout the work seem to me much closer to the ideal. A comparison of overall timings reveals a difference of 6'58'' between the Beaux Arts Trio and the faster paced Pacific Arts Trio, of which 3'21'' are knocked off the first movement and 2'08'' in the Largetto. As a consequence the Pacific Arts Trio give the work a greater sense of forward impetus and structural cohesion—attributes which the work is generally accused of lacking. However, I should add that whilst their interpretation seems to me more compelling and true, neither the quality of playing nor recorded sound matches that of the Beaux Arts Trio's recording.
The early Zemlinsky Trio, by contrast, is played with exactly the right degree of momentum and passion, especially in the more dramatic, impetuous outer movements. Like myself, most listeners will probably be more familiar with the Trio in its original version for clarinet, piano and cello (of which at least three recordings exist), but I would certainly agree with Max Harrison in his booklet-notes that the present version (made by Zemlinsky himself) is far more effective due to the lighter, more homogeneous texture produced by the re-scoring. This is best appreciated in the more impassioned passages where in the original the clarinet had a tendency to become somewhat smothered by the pianist's frequent Brahmsian outbursts. Though not what one would describe as fully-fledged or essential Zemlinsky it is certainly an attractive work and well worth investigating, especially in such a fine performance as this. The recorded sound is exceptionally mellow and natural, and the multilingual among you may be interested to know that Philips have commissioned no fewer than four separate essays for the booklet—one for each language.'
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